Eternity
by hullabuloo NHT
Summary: Naruto has left the Elemental Nations after gaining immortality due to merging with Kyuubi. He moves to Forks after spending the past two decades in Britain. There he meets the Cullens. EdwardxNaruto. Past Itanaru.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Twilight and this work is non-profitable. Also, parts of this plot is inspired by Nothing Left to Hold by Branwen777.

**Eternity**

Prologue

Naruto panted as he charged up two more _Rasenshuriken_, tossing one at the Preta path and hurling the other at the Human path. He then dodged a few missiles from the Asura path before shoving a rasengan into its chest. Naruto had trained hard the last two years, and now all his effort seemed to have paid off. He was now strong enough to take on the six paths of Pain. Jiraiya had received intelligence on the Akatsuki four years back, suggesting that the elite organization of S-class missing-nin was on the move – this time with the kyuubi jinchuuriki as their target. Naruto was thirteen when Jiraiya first approached him about going on a three-year training trip. The toad sage's intention was to take him away and hide him from the Akatsuki. Eager to learn more and get stronger so as to drag Sasuke back to Konoha, Naruto had agreed instantly. However, their training trip was cut short when despite the sannin's efforts; Naruto fell into the illegal organization's clutches at the tender age of fifteen. Fortunately, before the Akatsuki could extract the kyuubi and complete their bijuu collection, Uchiha Itachi took advantage of the temporary incapacitation of the other Akatsuki members during the extraction ritual and successfully rescued Naruto from the sealing chamber. Even though Itachi was forced to abandon his cover and reveal his status as a Konoha spy, it was still a victory for the Village of the Leaf on a whole.

Speaking of Itachi, Naruto subtly shifted his stance in order to gain a peripheral view of the Uchiha brothers tag-teaming their ancient ancestor. After Itachi had saved Naruto and brought him back to Konoha, Tsunade had revealed the truth of the Uchiha massacre and welcomed Itachi back as a loyal shinobi of Konoha. Naruto had tracked Sasuke down not long after that, and had thrashed the younger Uchiha before dragging him back to Konoha to have a heart-to-heart talk with his older brother. Of course, the situation seemed much more complicated at the time, but looking back, Naruto realized how _simple_ the whole affair actually was. Granted, there were quite a few bumps along the way – a lifetime of hatred cannot be easily forgotten, afterall – but Sasuke missed his beloved aniki too much to continue hating him. The fact that Sasuke found the hardest to accept was that his clan was planning a coup de'tat. It took the younger raven a long time to believe that Itachi had executed his entire family on the Sandaime's orders. When he finally believed his elder brother, Sasuke had come close to leaving Konoha all over again. He would have returned to being a missing-nin, too, if not for the persistent pleading of Naruto – who he had come to see as a younger brother. Currently, the Uchiha siblings were fighting in tandem and showing such exemplary teamwork that it was hard to believe that there was ever a rift between them.

Jiraiya had not bothered to take Naruto away from Konoha again, as the Akatsuki seemed to be able to track down the jinchuuriki no matter where they went. And so, after Sasuke was reinstated as a Konoha nin and placed on a month's worth of D-rank missions as punishment for his betrayal, Naruto started to focus on his training in hopes to stand against the Akatsuki. It was a good thing that Naruto became serious about his training too, seeing as the Akatsuki attacked not two years later. When the 8 cloaked members reached the gates of Konoha, Naruto and his friends were ready for them. Itachi and Sasuke had already laid claim on Uchiha Madara, claiming that as his descendents, it was their duty to rid the world of him. The others had not questioned this, recognizing a fruitless battle when they saw one. Instead, they divided the remaining members amongst themselves. Jiraiya had engaged Konan, one of the three orphans he had looked after and trained all those years ago. Kakashi took on Kisame and Team 10 faced off against Kakuzu. Shino and Kiba found themselves facing Deidara while Neji and Hinata worked together against Zetsu. The Green Beasts of Konoha went up against Hidan and Naruto, himself, engaged Pain – the pseudo leader of Akatsuki. Sakura, who had become the Head of the Konoha Hospital, was waiting impatiently in the village. Tsunade had forbidden her to come, as her expertise was needed after the battle. The Godaime wouldn't be able to deal with all the injured ninja on her own, afterall. Tenten had been banned from helping as well, as she was still recovering from an injury gained from a previous mission.

The battle was fierce, as legendary ninja clashed against each other. Both sides seemed to be rather even, and the fight had dragged on for a few hours. Naruto clenched his fists as he jumped out of the way of another Shinra Tensei. He had to get this over with quickly; he was already starting to feel the deteriorating effect kyuubi's chakra had on his body. However, before Naruto could launch his _Rasenrengan_ at the Animal path, a loud cry caused him to whip his head to the left. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Itachi dive in front of Madara's blade, shielding Sasuke with his body. Sasuke's mouth was open, having released the cry that drew Naruto's attention, as he watched his newly reunited brother fall. With his last breath, Itachi turned to Sasuke and sent his chakra to his brother, gifting him with the eternal Mangekyou sharingan. Furious at Itachi's death, Sasuke leaped into action, his attacks were faster and stronger as Sasuke channeled his pain and anger into defeating Madara. The other Konoha ninja, following his example, brought their respective battles up a notch as they fought with renewed determination – Itachi's death would not be in vain.

All around him, fierce battles were raging, but Naruto had not moved an inch after watching Itachi die. His eyes were shadowed by his blond bangs, as the last jinchuuriki stood frozen. The Deva path observed his opponent for awhile, before deciding that the blond was too broken to continue the fight. Almost casually, he lifted his right hand and used the _Chibaku Tensei_, intent on capturing the jinchuuriki and ending the battle. However, before the chakra sphere enclosed around Naruto, the blond looked up, piercing Pain with his icy glare. The frigidity of the twin blue orbs was extremely out of place on the normally cheery face, so much so that the sight of Naruto's emotionless gaze had shaken the unflappable Pain, causing the unfamiliar feeling of fear to well up within him. In fact, Rinnegan-wielder had breathed a sigh of relief when the blond was surrounded by his Chibaku Tensei sphere. Unfortunately for Pain, the victory was short-lived.

Naruto felt something tear inside of him when he saw Itachi's lifeless body fall to the ground. He had grown close to the older Uchiha ever since it was revealed that Itachi was a spy. The seemingly emotionless ninja had done what noone else had – he had seen through Naruto's masks and recognized the suffering beneath. Perhaps it was because Itachi could relate, or maybe the Uchiha was simply skilled at reading people, whatever the reason, Itachi always seemed to know when Naruto needed support. The Mangekyou-wielder had often appeared whenever Naruto felt like giving up, when he thought it was fruitless to stand against the Akatsuki, and when he started to doubt himself. The two spent many nights together, sitting atop of the Yondaime's head as they gazed silently at the village below them, reminding themselves of why they fought. They had even started a tentative relationship one month ago, when Itachi asked Naruto to be his boyfriend on the 17 year-old's birthday. Naruto, who had been nursing a small crush on his best friend's older brother, agreed instantly. That day was easily the best day of Naruto's life. But Itachi was gone, and Naruto felt startlingly empty. All his life Naruto had faced loneliness and suffering. Finally, he had found someone who was willing to care for him, to love him, and yet his only chance at happiness had been cruelly ripped away from him by the Akatsuki. At that thought, ice cold rage filled Naruto as he looked up at his opponent. Pain, the pseudo leader of Akatsuki, stared back at him. Even as he was enclosed within a large chakra sphere, Naruto's mind could only focus on a single thought. He was going to make him pay. Pain would learn the true meaning of his namesake. With a loud cry, Naruto started channeling more of Kyuubi's chakra, going from his six-tailed state to the nine-tailed state. He knew that by doing so, he would be essentially fusing with the Kyuubi by drawing all of the fox's chakra into his system. But Naruto didn't care. It didn't matter if his body gave out after the fight. All that mattered was revenge. Naruto, shrouded by a cloak of red chakra, broke out of the Chibaku Tensei sphere. The sphere of rubble created by the Chibaku Tensei crumbled, and Naruto emerged from its remains.

With his resolve renewed, Naruto quickly took down the Animal path with his _Rasenrengan_. Out of Pain's 6 bodies, only the Deva path remained. With an animalistic snarl, Naruto charged at the piercing-ridden man and flung six of his chakra tails forward to wrap themselves around his opponent's neck, waist and limbs. Naruto charged up a rasengan, which was pulsing with the kyuubi's chakra, before he forced the sphere of chakra into the Deva path's chest, killing him instantly. Naruto roared loudly before sending out kyuubi's chakra, tracking down Nagato's real body and literally ripping it to shreds. All that was left of the body in a cave on a nearby hill was large splatters of blood. Looking around, Naruto saw that his comrades were all wrapping up their own battles. The Akatsuki have been defeated. It was finally over.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Twilight and this work is non-profitable.

Chapter 1

Uzumaki Naruto sighed as he sealed his belongings into a few scrolls before stuffing the scrolls into a backpack. It was time for him to move, again. After the battle with the Akatsuki, which had been nicknamed 'The Red Dawn's Demise', Tsunade had named Naruto as her successor – the Rokudaime. However, despite the fact that he had attained his childhood dream, Naruto felt strangely detached as he accepted the Hokage hat and robes from a proud Tsunade. Naruto worked hard and completed his Hokage duties perfectly, but he lacked the enthusiasm and passion he once had for the job. On top of that, Naruto had also noticed that while his peers all started to age, he looked exactly the same as he did when he had just turned 17. After consulting Kyuubi and discussing his condition with the demon fox, the two came to the conclusion that when Naruto fused with Kyuubi to attain the nine-tailed state, Naruto had essentially turned himself into a hanyou. With the merger, Naruto and Kyuubi were now a single entity, though their consciousnesses were still separate. As a hanyou, Naruto would not age a day and he had an almost infinite amount of chakra at his disposal. It had taken Naruto a few weeks after the merger to relearn his chakra control as he now had significantly larger chakra stores. Naruto was now virtually indestructible, with his healing factor boosted by the fusion, allowing Naruto to heal from any wound in seconds.

Naruto had become too strong. No ninja was meant to become invincible. It upset the balance and only led to chaos. Great ninjas were destined to rise and fall, not remain forever at the top of their prime. As such, after learning of his near immortality, Naruto decided that he had to leave the ninja world. Being the Rokudaime, he couldn't simply abandon the village. Besides, his friends would not rest until they got him back if he tried to do so. Instead, Naruto faked his death. Knowing that noone would believe it if he fell to simple assassination attempts, Naruto had staged a battle against 2 tailed demons. He had secretly raided the Akatsuki hideout and found the statue in which 8 out of the 9 tailed demons were sealed. He then made a deal with the Gobi and the Nanabi in exchange for their freedom. After gaining their agreement, Naruto unsealed the five- and seven-tailed demons before destroying the statue and the rest of the tailed demons.

One month later, two tailed beasts attacked Konoha. However, they did not make it past the village gates before they were confronted by the Rokudaime Hokage. Naruto fought bravely to protect his village and his determination allowed him victory over the two demons. Defeated and severely wounded, the demons fled the area. However, the Rokudaime had incurred fatal injuries in the battle, and succumbed to the cold clutches of death soon after the Gobi and Nanabi retreated. Stories of the courageous and heroic Uzumaki Naruto would continue circulating the ninja world in centuries to come. Unknown to everyone, was that the body the ANBU retrieved after the battle was not Naruto's true body, but a Kage Bushin with a blood seal that made it into a permanent body that would decompose just like any human body. Naruto had created the seal himself. To ensure that noone would find the seal, Naruto had cut open his clone and drew the seal on the inside of its skin. He then healed the cut with a burst of Kyuubi's chakra. And so, while the village mourned the death of the greatest Hokage in history, Uzumaki Naruto made his way out of Fire country.

Kyuubi had informed Naruto that there was a world outside of the Elemental Nations. Apparently, a few thousand years ago, the first ninja – the Sage of the Six Paths had left the outside world to reside in the Elemental Nations. He had cast a strong genjutsu on the entire continent so that no one from the outside world would ever stumble into his lands. The genjutsu also worked to keep those from the Elemental Nations within her borders. The Sage of the Six Paths had passed a law forbidding anyone to talk of the outside world and over time, the knowledge that such a world existed was lost to the ninja world. Kyuubi was an exception, seeing as how he was the oldest of the bijuu and was around at the time, Kyuubi naturally knew about the outside world. Under the kyuubi's guidance, Naruto was able to successfully leave the Elemental Nations and enter the world beyond it.

That brings us to where Naruto is now, packing his bags (or sealing them) and preparing to leave Great Britain. He had been living in Britain for slightly over two decades, while he assimilated himself into this new world. Naruto had not idled his time away and was now fluent in English, French, German and Chinese. He has graduated from high school 3 times having taken different subject combinations each time. In fact, he had just graduated from Findel High a week ago and was now preparing to enter another high school and start all over again. Sometimes not being able to age sucked. Naruto was tired of hopping from state to state though, and had decided to travel to a whole new country – the United States. But before he left for his next destination – a small out of the way town called Forks, Naruto had to go for an interview.

Uzumaki Naruto had an alias with the name Namikaze Minato. Naruto had fallen in love with music when he first encountered it during his first week in this world. He had immediately signed up for lessons, and he was now proficient in quite a number of instruments – piano, guitar (both electric and classical), base, flute and drums. He favored his classical guitar the most though, and could often be found strumming random tunes on his guitar. One day, while he was relaxing in a park and casually playing a few songs he had composed himself, he was approached by a man wearing a business suit. The man introduced himself as Johnathan Silvers, the manager of Britain's number 1 record company – Blue-Jay Records. He then offered Naruto a job at his records company as a singer. Intrigued, Naruto agreed, glad that he had the foresight to put on a _henge_ before leaving the house. While Uzumaki Naruto was a small teenager with golden hair and sapphire blue eyes, Namikaze Minato was a young man in his early twenties, with blood red hair and sparkling green eyes. His _henge_ was actually inspired by Gaara and basically looked like an older Gaara without the love tattoo and the dark circles around his eyes. Minato had been in the record business for slightly over a decade now, and Naruto had been careful to let his _henge_ age a little whenever he appeared on television, which was not often. Minato had cultured a reclusive image as he rarely accepted interviews, and preferred to stay out of the limelight. He had released 8 albums so far, naming them after the one to eight tailed demons. He planned to release his 9th and final album – Kyuubi – sometime next week, before retiring from the music industry.

A man who looked to be in his late thirties casually strolled into Blue-Jay Records as he flashed a smile at the receptionist who recognised him instantly. "Minato! You're here! Just in time too. Mr Silvers is waiting for you in Media Room B, the talk show host is with him."

"Thank you, Miss Sherry. I'll be on my way then." Naruto nodded his farewell before he turned and entered the lift, pressing the button with a number '5' on it. With a 'ding', the elevator stopped on the fifth floor and Naruto quickly walked down the hallway before stopping at a door labelled 'M.R. B'. Knocking on the door, he entered the room when he heard the soft 'come in' from his employer.

"There you are, Minato. We're about to start filming. This is Katie Rook. She the host of the talk show you will be on – Sensational Stories." Johnathan introduced as he gestured towards a young woman seated on the couch in the middle of the set. "Now go and get ready backstage. We will send someone to call you out when it's time for you to make your appearance." With that, Johnathan quickly ushered him into the make-up room as he signalled for the cameras to start rolling. This was going to be a live feed.

Naruto sat still as a few crew members hastily arranged his clothes and applied a light make-up on his face while he waited for his cue. He didn't have to wait long, as soon, an assistant rushed in and told him it was time. Naruto stood confidently as he entered the room. Katie Rook, the talk-show host, was addressing the audience through the cameras. "Welcome to Sensational Stories. Today, we have with us a very special guest. Let us all welcome Britain's No. 1 solo artist – Namikaze Minato!"

Naruto strode confidently on to the set, smiling disarmingly at the cameras as he walked towards the couch in the center of the set. Seeing the young woman from before, Naruto greeted her politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rook. I'm afraid you'll have to bear with me today." Naruto said as he smiled charmingly and extended at hand to the woman. She smiled prettily at him and shook his hand. "The pleasure's all mine, Mr Namikaze. It's not often that one gets to meet the mysterious and ever reclusive Namikaze Minato after all." Naruto laughed lightly at that, his green eyes sparkling. "Please, call me Minato. And what can I say, I am a private guy." Katie giggled as well, "That you are, Minato. I don't think I've seen anyone as reclusive as you in the music industry. But let us move on to our topic for today. There are rumours that you are retiring soon. Are they true?"

Naruto leaned back in his seat as he shifted so as to face both Katie and the cameras. "Yes, I'm afraid they are. I am releasing my 9th and final album – Kyuubi – next week. After which, I'll be retiring from the music business." He replied.

"Is there any reason in particular for your retirement?" Katie asked curiously.

Naruto stroked his chin in thought as he answered. "Well, I guess I'm just getting lazy. Besides, when I made my first album, I had already decided to stop at my 9th. It goes along with the theme, see. According to legend, there are 9 great demons, ranked according to the number of tails they have. The Kyuubi is the mythical nine-tailed fox, the demon king. I think it's fitting that I end off my career with the Kyuubi and go out with a bang." Naruto slammed his right fist into his left palm as he finished, emphasising on the 'bang'.

Katie giggled at his antics before continuing with the interview, "So have you completed your last album? Could you give us a sneak peak?"

Naruto chuckled at that. "Yes, I have completed 'Kyuubi'. And I guess I could give you guys a little preview. An appetiser for what's in store for you. Just let me get my guitar." He said as he got up from his seat, walking off the set to take his guitar from one of the stage crew members before walking back to the couch. "I'm going to play a song called 'On My Own'."

Naruto started strumming his guitar and humming along before he started to sing.

"I walk alone  
Think of home  
Memories of long ago  
No one knows I lost

My soul long ago"

Naruto closed his eyes as he immersed himself in his memories. He allowed his emotions to colour his voice as he sang.

"Lied too much  
She said that she's had enough  
Am I too much  
She said that she's had enough"

"_Naruto-kun why do you always keep everything to yourself? I want to share your burden. Please, Naruto-kun, let me in."_

_Pleading eyes, shining with love._

"_Don't worry about me, Hinata-chan. I'm fine."_

_Fake smiles and forced cheerfulness._

"Standing on my own  
Remembering the one I left at home  
Forget about the life I used to know  
Forget about the one I left at home"

"_Naruto-kun. Why do you always come back so late?"_

_Eyes full of hurt and pain._

"_I have a lot of work, Hinata-chan. I'm sorry, I'll try to be earlier."_

_Avoiding her gaze. Drowning in guilt._

"I need to run far away  
Can't go back to that place  
Like she told me  
I'm just a big disgrace"

_Pounding music and lots of sake._

"_You need to stop doing this to yourself, Naruto-kun. You're like this every year on this day."_

_September 21__st__. The day Itachi died._

"Lied too much  
She said that she's had enough  
Am I too much  
She said that she's had enough"

"_Naruto-kun, please, tell me the truth. Are you still in love with Itachi-san?"_

_Pearl-white eyes Naruto couldn't bring himself to lie to._

"_I won't lie to you, Hinata-chan. I won't stop loving him."_

_The cold facts. The bitter truth._

"Standing on my own  
Remembering the one I left at home  
Forget about the life I used to know  
Forget about the one I left at home  
So now I'm standing here alone  
I'm learning how to live life on my own"

"_I can't do this anymore, Naruto-kun. You said you'd try to love me. But you can't let go of Itachi-san. I can't compete with a dead man."_

_She was packing her things. She was leaving._

"_I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. Please don't go! I'll change. I'll do whatever you want. Please don't leave me."_

_Desperation. Fear of being alone again._

"Lied too much  
I think that I've had enough  
Am I too much  
She said that she's had enough"

_She had left. Naruto was alone again._

_Neji hated him for hurting Hinata._

_Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme were disappointed._

_They didn't understand._

"I'm standing on my own  
Remembering the one I left at home  
Forget about the life I used to know  
Forget about the one I left at home  
So now I'm standing here alone  
I'm learning how to live life on my own  
Forget about the past I'll never know  
Forget about the one I left at home"

"_I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I thought I would be strong enough to stick by you, but I'm not. You'll always be my first love and I'll never forget the memories I have with you, but I couldn't stay."_

_Apologetic glances. But there was no regret._

"_No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I understand, Hinata-chan. For what it's worth, I really think you're a wonderful woman. If things were different, I could have loved you."_

Naruto strummed the last few notes softly, allowing the music to fade as he pulled himself from his memories.

"Wow. That's a great song. Can you tell us more about it?" Katie asked as Naruto stopped strumming his guitar. "This song dedicated to a childhood friend of mine. She is a wonderful and kind woman." Naruto replied honestly.

"Ooh, is she your girlfriend?" Katie teased. Naruto chuckled in response. "Well, we did try dating for awhile, but it didn't work out. I was not able to get over the death of my previous lover."

Katie's eyes widened. "I'm sorry to hear that." She said sincerely. Naruto shook his head, "Don't be. It was a long time ago."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what was your previous lover like? Do you think you can ever get over her death?" Katie asked carefully, not wanting to offend Naruto. Fortunately, Naruto didn't take offense. "Well, he was everything to me. I'm not sure if I can ever get over his death, but I know that I will never forget him." He answered.

Katie was surprised for the second time. "He?" Naruto grinned roguishly at her, the solemn air around him disappearing immediately. "Yep. I'm one of those lucky few who can appreciate beauty in both forms."

Katie blushed lightly at that. "That's interesting. Well, it seems our time today is up. Thank you for your time, Minato." She said as she stood up from her seat. "It's nothing. I had fun today; you're really easy to talk with." Naruto replied as he, too, stood up.

"You're making me blush, Minato." Katie said jokingly, before turning to the cameras. "Thank you for watching Sensational Stories. We hope to see you again next week." The cameras stopped rolling after that concluding statement.

* * *

Emmett whistled appreciatively as the song ended. "Woah. That guy sure is talented. I think he can give you a run for your money, little bro." He said teasingly as he looked over to his younger – by appearances only – brother. Edward merely rolled his eyes in response, ignoring the jab, before his attention returned to the television set before them. The 'children' of the Cullen family were all crowded around in the living room, watching television. Jasper had lazily flicked through the channels before Alice told him that there would be something interesting on channel 73. Jasper had wordlessly switched to the said channel, already used to Alice's seemingly random comments. Alice was a seer, and the Cullen family had quickly learned to listen to her suggestions, knowing that they would probably turn out to be very helpful in the end. That was how the five vampires ended up watching a talk-show called _Sensational Stories_. It was a British talk-show and often involved British celebrities. Today, the talk-show host was interviewing a red-headed man with shocking green eyes. Edward had recognised him at once. Namikaze Minato was an extremely talented musician who composed wonderful songs. In fact, Edward had collected all of his previous 8 albums and was looking forward to buying his latest one that would be coming out in approximately a month's time, seeing as it took some time for the albums to be released in America.

Edward was shaken out of his thoughts by a surprised whistle from Emmett. "That guy has guts! I can't believe he just admitted his sexuality over national TV! And he managed to turn the oh-so-casual admission into a joke too! I like him!" Emmett chattered excitedly, impressed by this mortal. Jasper chuckled at his brother's exuberance while Rosalie merely swatted Emmett in the head. "There's no need to be so worked up. He's just a human." Rosalie drawled arrogantly. "Are you jealous, Rosie? Don't worry, I only have eyes for you, my darling." Emmett declared as he wrapped his large arms around his mate, earning another swat to the head. But despite her apparent annoyance, Rosalie's lips were twitching in amusement, while the other siblings either giggled or rolled their eyes at the couple's antics.

"I must say that he is rather attractive, and has good fashion sense, for a mortal." Rosalie said as she turning her attention back to the television just as the show ended. Coming from the beautiful vampire, that was high praise indeed. "And he has a lovely voice. It's really too bad that he's retiring already. Oh well. At least we'll have something to look forward to." Alice added with a mysterious gleam in her eyes. Edward glanced at the pixie-like girl suspiciously as he concentrated on her mind, only to groan and massage his temples when she started singing the Powerpuff Girls song loudly in her head. "Must you do that? The last time, I had the Barney song stuck in my head for the whole day!" Edward grumbled while Alice merely stuck out her tongue at him. "If you want to know, you'll just have to ask like everybody else, Edward." Alice shot back. Edward growled lowly before giving in to his curiosity. "Fine, what did you see?" He grounded out, shooting a glare at Jasper when he felt soothing calmness envelope him. Alice giggled. "We're going to have two new transfer students next week! Isn't that exciting?"

* * *

Author's Note: The song is Pain, by Three Days Grace.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Naruto leaned back into the synthetic leather tiredly. He absently scratched at his right cheek as he yawned. His whisker-like marks had faded after the merge with Kyuubi, leaving behind smooth stretches of skin. Naruto had been cooped up in his seat for the past six hours, watching the clouds go by through his window. In a few more hours, the plane would be touching down in the Washington Dulles International Airport. From there, Naruto would be collecting a vehicle he had bought on the web before driving to a small town called Forks in Clallam Country. He had already bought a house there and he could move in immediately. Naruto let loose another yawn as his thoughts returned to the interview he had before boarding the flight.

_Hinata-chan…_ Naruto sighed as he stared at the light blue sky. After Itachi's death, Naruto's heart had been shattered, and Hinata had been there to pick up the pieces. Despite popular belief, Naruto was not dumb. He was not blind to the Hyuuga heiress' affections. However, he knew that with his reputation as the village pariah, it would be impossible between the two of them. That was the reason why Naruto had kept his distance from Hinata. While he was not actively mean to her, Naruto had refrained from sitting with her in class and had not called her out when he sensed her following him. Even when he was desperate for a friend, Naruto had not allowed himself to seek out the lavender-eyed girl. He knew that the villagers loved the kind-hearted Hinata, and he did not want to sully her reputation with his own. However, things changed after Naruto was elected as Rokudaime. The village had finally accepted him; they had finally recognised Naruto for who he was, instead of only seeing the demon fox. That was part of the reason why Naruto had consented to a relationship with Hinata. However, a larger and more selfish part of him had accepted Hinata as his girlfriend in order to fill the emptiness that Itachi's death had left behind. Naruto had felt so lost at that time, and was desperate for someone to cling onto, for someone to love and care for him. He had reasoned that Hinata was a wonderful girl and that he would learn to love her in time.

He was the perfect boyfriend at first, bringing her out on dates and being as charming as he could. He was caring and affectionate, rarely refusing her anything. But the emptiness did not fade, and while Hinata had grown closer to Naruto, he still did not love her. After awhile, it became clear that their relationship would not work out. Feeling that he was betraying Itachi in some way, Naruto had spent more and more time in his office, neglecting Hinata in favour of his work. Naruto knew that he was hurting Hinata, that he should break it off with her, but some part of him stubbornly refused to let go of her. He was frightened of being alone again. It backfired in the end, of course. It was a matter of time before Hinata couldn't take it anymore and left him. Furthermore, the day their relationship ended was also the day that many of Naruto's friends broke off their friendships with him. Neji, who had grown protective of Hinata after his hatred for the main house dissolved, and Kiba, who had nursed a crush on his shy teammate, outright hated him. The rest of his friends were mostly angry at him for hurting the kind girl. They had forgiven him at Hinata's insistence, but the damage had been done and their friendships would never be the same. Even Sasuke and Sakura, who had known about his relationship with Itachi, were disappointed that he was unable to let go of the past.

It was for the better, though. At least this way, Naruto's 'death' would not hurt as much. The already straining bonds meant that it wouldn't be as painful when they snapped. Naruto would not be leaving behind any loose ends. But they were still his precious people, and Naruto would always feel sad when he thought about them. He would never know if Sasuke and Sakura ever had the daughter they wished for after the birth of their two sons – Itachi and Haku. He would never find out if Shikamaru was able to convince Temari to leave Sand and move in with him or if Ino and Chouji would finally get together after their incessant flirting. Would Hinata get together with Kiba? Would Neji and Tenten have children? Would Lee and Shino find their soulmates? He would never find out the answers to these questions, and it was painful to not know how his precious people were doing. Naruto closed his eyes as he fought to keep down his emotions. _It is better this way._ He thought, as he tried to convince himself.

"This is the pilot of flight MK39830. We'll be landing in 15 minutes. Please put on your seat belts now. Thank you for flying with British Airlines." Naruto shook himself from his thoughts as he heard the announcement blare from the speakers in the plane. Reaching down to buckle his seat belt, he settled down as he waited for the touch down.

* * *

"So the transfer students are coming today? What are they like?" Edward asked Alice as they left the house. She only smiled and said, "You'll meet them soon." Edward sighed at his sister's refusal to give him more information. She was reciting the Greek alphabet in her mind now. Really, Alice could be so childishly stubborn at times. The 5 adopted siblings got into their respective vehicles and drove to school, anticipating an interesting school day.

Edward rested his head on his right palm as he waited for his biology lesson to start. From the way Alice was acting, he had expected a somewhat more interesting day. However, apart from seeing the unfamiliar red truck and a shiny blue Porsche, he hadn't seen much of the two transfer students. He did catch a glimpse of a new girl in the cafeteria, but he had not stuck around as he and his siblings had decided to bring their lunch to the gardens. From what he had seen, she was rather plain looking, and had been talking to Jessica and her clique. There was nothing special about her that would make Alice so tight-lipped about her arrival. _Speak of the devil,_ he thought, as the female transfer student walked into the classroom. She passed a slip of paper to their teacher, Mr Mason, and he looked it over before addressing the class.

"This is Bella Swan, and she'll be joining our class. Do you have anything you want to say, Miss Swan?" Mr Mason asked, turning to Bella. The girl blushed lightly and shook her head. "Alright then, you can join Mr Cullen's workstation. Please raise your hand, Mr Cullen." Edward raised his hand slightly as he smiled at the girl who made her way towards him. She blushed, blood pooling in her cheeks, and her scent hit him. Edward fought desperately not to recoil away from her. Her blood smelt extremely delicious, and his instincts were urging him to attack her and drain her dry. Thousands of scenarios popped into his mind. It'd be so _easy_. He could just reach over and grab her before sinking his fangs into her fragile neck. His hands quickly held onto the table tightly, as Edward fought for control. He couldn't - _wouldn't _- give in to his instincts. His family would have to move again and Carlisle would be disappointed in him. For their sakes, he had to stay in control. Edward could feel the metal slowly give way under his grip as he leaned away from the girl and tried to breathe as shallowly as possible. Then, just as the girl sat down on his right, Edward realised something. He couldn't hear her thoughts! It was as if her mind was completely silent, which was impossible!

Just as Mr Mason opened his mouth and was about to start the lesson, there was a knock on the door. The door opened and a teenager with golden blond hair and sun-kissed skin walked in. "I'm sorry for being late, sir. I was held back in my previous lesson." He spoke smoothly as he glided towards the teacher. His movements seemed to harbour a kind of predatory grace; every action he took was smooth and calculated. He moved like a trained fighter. Handing his slip to the teacher, he let his gaze sweep around the class, blue eyes sparkling and a grin on his face. Edward couldn't stop the soft gasp that escaped him when those sapphire orbs stopped on him. The blond was gorgeous, but what captured Edward's attention was the hidden pain in his eyes. The blue orbs seemed so out of place on that youthful face.

Mr Mason cast his eyes around the room, debating on where to put the second new student. Each bench now had two people, so whoever the blond joined would become a three-man group. "Everyone, this is Uzumaki Naruto. He, too, will be joining our class. Mr Uzumaki, why don't you join Mr Cullen and Miss Swan? Miss Swan is also a new transfer student, and the two of you can help each other adapt to the new environment." Naruto nodded to the teacher as he saw a girl give him a small wave. Taking her to be the other transfer student, he walked towards her workstation. His eyes shifted to the boy beside her. He was extremely attractive with curly brown hair and chiselled features. But what confused Naruto was the way the boy gripped the table so tightly until his knuckles were white. It didn't escape Naruto's notice that the boys grip had caused the metal table to dent slightly. A blond eyebrow rose, that guy had a strong grip. Making a mental note to look into that further at a later date, Naruto slid onto the bench, taking up the spot on Edward's left.

As Edward was taking very shallow breaths, Naruto was very close before he breathed in the blond's scent. Immediately, he felt the tension seep from his shoulders as his grip slackened. Naruto's blood smelt, if possible, even more tantalising than Bella's, yet Edward had no urge to attack him. In fact, the mere thought of hurting the boy was repulsive. Instead, a strange protective instinct welled up inside him. The urge to protect the boy was so strong that it overpowered his urge to drink the girl's blood. Bella's blood still smelt delicious, but it seemed his vampire side had decided that protecting the blond was the most important thing and everything else could be shunted to the side. Sliding into the seat to Edward's left, Naruto nodded politely to his two bench partners before turning his attention to the teacher. Edward was stunned yet again in the span of ten minutes when he realised that the blond's mind was silent as well.

**Kit, there's something off with the human next to you. **Naruto didn't even react when he heard the low voice in his mind. He had become used to conversing with Kyuubi over the years and no longer started at the demon's voice. _I know. He's smells weird. Plus, he has what seems to be super strength. There's something else as well, but I can't seem to put my finger on it._ Naruto replied. After the fusion, Naruto's senses had improved thousand-fold. Few would be able to evade his senses now. Even if they managed to conceal their chakra and cover up their smell, Naruto would be able to hear their heartbeat. _Wait. That's it! I can't hear his heartbeat! How's that possible? It can't be a genjutsu, this guy has even less chakra than an average human._ Contrary to popular belief, every living thing had chakra. It was a mixture of life and spiritual energy and without it, one couldn't survive. However, the people in this world had much less chakra than those in the ninja world, and they were not as in touch with it as well. As such, they would not be able to cast jutsus, having even less chakra moulding ability than the civilians in the ninja world. **I'm not sure, kit. But I'll keep my guard up if I were you.** Kyuubi cautioned before falling silent. After merging their chakra, Kyuubi had become inseparable from Naruto and the fox had accepted that fact. As such, the demon lord had become more amicable to its jailor, apparently deciding that he might as well be on good terms with the one he was permanently stuck in. Eternity was a long time, after all, and it would be better to spend it with someone you were friends with rather than someone who hated you. Naruto had agreed with this philosophy and the two had grown closer. While they may never be the best of friends, they have learnt to trust each other and could work well together. Naruto nodded in response to Kyuubi's warning as he cast a discrete glance at the boy next to him. It seems this town might be more interesting than he'd thought.

Naruto sighed as the lesson ended and the students immediately congregated at his table. "Nice to meet you! I'm Mike Newton. So where are you from?" A sandy blond haired boy greeted him cheerfully, thrusting a hand out for him to shake.

Accepting the slightly vigorous handshake, Naruto replied. "I'm from Britain, but my parents were Japanese. That's the language my name is in."

A pretty girl joined in the interrogation. "That's so cool! I knew you looked Asian. Do you have an English name? I'm Jessica, by the way."

Naruto chuckled. "Well not officially. But I do like the name 'Chris'."

Naruto then turned to his right as he leaned backwards to see past Edward to Bella. "How about you, Bella? Where are you from?" He asked, flashing a charming smile.

She blushed as she replied, "Pheonix, Arizona. I came here to live with my father."

Naruto's eyebrow rose at that, but he decided not to press further. Packing his things, Naruto stood from his seat and addressed the students surrounding him. "Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I've got to go home and finish unpacking my stuff. I'll see you all tomorrow."

He then turned to his two bench partners. "It was nice meeting you as well, Bella, Edward. I'm looking forward to working with you." He said as he offered both hands to them, grinning as they shook one hand each and mentally taking note of the fact that Edward's hand was ice cold. With a wave, Naruto shouldered his backpack and weaved his way through the crowd.

Edward left quickly after Naruto made his exit, not wanting to be left with Bella without the blond's calming presence. He was surprised when Naruto didn't flinch at the coldness of his hand and he was hoping to talk to the blond. They had barely exchanged a few words during the lesson and Edward wanted to know more about the other boy. To his delight, Edward caught sight of Naruto walking to the blue Porsche. "Hey Naruto, wait up!" He yelled as he jogged to catch up to the blue-eyed boy.

"Edward? Is something the matter?" Naruto asked as the vampire fell into step beside him.

"Not really. I was just wondering if you'd like to grab some lunch before going home. I didn't see you at the cafeteria this morning." Edward answered.

"Oh. Err sure, I guess. So do you know any place with good food around here?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head as he looked at the taller boy.

Edward grinned. "Of course I do. If you don't mind giving me a lift, I can give you directions."

"You don't have a car?"

Edward shook his head. "I do, it's the silver Volvo over there. I just thought that it'd be weird to drive there in separate cars. I can just call my siblings to bring my car home for me."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Sure, just hop in." He said as he gestured to the passenger seat, and then made his way around the car to the driver's seat. "Where would you like to go, sir?" Naruto asked, imitating a chauffer. Edward chuckled at his antics before rattling off directions.

* * *

"So what's the real reason you dragged me out for lunch? Want to interrogate me further on my life?" Naruto asked jokingly as the two sat down opposite each other, each with a tray of food in front of them.

"Well, you _are_ rather interesting and I do want to find out more about you. But you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." Edward replied seriously, not wanting the blond to feel compelled to answer his questions.

Naruto laughed at that. "My, how generous of you! I really must thank you for such a considerate offer. It's more than what those hell-hounds from school gave me anyway."

Edward smiled, deciding that he like Naruto's laugh. "Think of it as a compliment. Only a fine piece of meat can attract so many vultures." He teased.

Naruto grimaced in response. "Don't even get me started on that. Seriously, you'd think they'd give the poor transfer student some time to fit in before hitting on him." He grumbled, glaring at the pale boy as he chuckled at his expense. "I'm glad one of us is amused." Naruto snapped in mock anger, though his twinkling eyes ruined the effect.

"Well enough about them. I recognised the music you were playing in your car. It's Pain by Namikaze Minato, right?" Edward asked, looking at Naruto for confirmation.

Naruto nodded as he took a bite from his burger. He chewed slowly before speaking. "You know of him? I thought he was only popular in Britain?"

"Not really. He's quite a hit here in America as well. I love his songs." Edward replied.

Naruto's eyes lit up in interest. Leaning forward, he asked, "so you listen to music then? Do you play as well?"

Edward scratched his chin as he answered. "Yes I do, to both questions. I can play the piano and guitar."

A large grin grew on the blonde ex-ninja's face. "That's great! We should get together and play some time. Aren't you going to eat?" Naruto said, gesturing to the untouched meal in front of Edward.

"I'm not really hungry actually. I think I ate too much for breakfast this morning." Edward said, grimacing at the food.

"Really, then you won't mind me stealing your food, would you?" Naruto asked, as he eyed Edward's burger greedily, having already polished off his own.

Edward chuckled. "Sure, help yourself." He said as he pushed his tray towards the blond, who immediately fell onto the food like a hungry wolf on its prey.

* * *

Naruto stretched languidly after unsealing the last of his scrolls. He ambled over to the window and stared at the dark skies. It was raining heavily and it seemed like a fierce thunderstorm was brewing. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he heard loud rumbles of thunder. Or at least what sounded like thunder. However, they all seemed to be originating from the same spot, which was rather strange. A normal person would not have noticed anything out of the ordinary, but Naruto had been trained to notice such things. Curious, the ex-ninja decided to do some investigating. Casting a small genjutsu on himself that would hide him from all five senses, Naruto opened the window before clinging onto the outside wall with chakra. He then closed the window to keep out the rain before darting into the forest outside his house, moving in the direction from where the 'thunder' originated.

The Cullen family were playing baseball. It was sort of a family tradition for them to play this game whenever there was a thunderstorm. The storm would drown out the sounds of their game, and the loud clap that resounded when one of them batted the ball could be mistaken for thunder. Currently, Jasper, Rosalie and Carlisle were on the batting team while Edward, Alice and Emmett fielded. Esme was acting as referee. Jasper held the bat ready as his mate got ready to pitch the ball. Alice stiffened for a second before a smile grew on her face. She immediately started humming a silly tune in her head to keep Edward from seeing her vision. She then tossed the ball at Jasper, the ball moving at impossible speeds after being launched from her hand. With a resounding clang, Jasper hit the ball before dashing off trying to win a home run.

Naruto stared in shock at the baseball game before him. They were obviously not human. Not only were they lacking a heartbeat, but they also possessed supernatural strength and speed. It seems he wasn't the only one with secrets in this town. A large grin grew on his face as Naruto continued watching the game. It's been so long since he'd last gone all out. **Kit, you'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking.** Kyuubi growled in his mind. **It's too dangerous! You don't know anything about them! **The fox shouted, trying to convince his impulsive jailor. _Oh come on Kyuu. What's life without a little risk? Besides, they'll have to keep my secret if they want me to keep theirs._ With that thought, Naruto released his genjutsu and launched himself into the air, pumping chakra into his feet as he pushed off the tree. Forming a handseal, Naruto sent a gust of wind to slow down the ball before grabbing it in mid-air. Even after being slowed down by the wind jutsu, Naruto still had to use his chakra to cushion the ball as he caught it. He whistled appreciatively as he landed gracefully on his feet. "I'd hate to have to arm wrestle one of you guys." He said, grinning at the stunned vampires before him. "Nice to meet ya. Mind if I join in?"

The Cullen coven continued to stare at him blankly before Alice clapped her hands delightedly and spoke cheerfully. "Of course not! You can join my team. Esme, do you mind playing to balance out the numbers?" Alice asked, turning to her adopted mother.

Esme snapped out of her shock quickly as she smiled softly. "Sure thing, dear. It's been a while since I've last played and I'm sure it'd be fun." She spoke as she made her way towards her husband and his team. "Since that was an air ball, Jasper's out. It's Rosalie's turn now." Esme commented as Rosalie strode forward to pick up the bat Jasper had dropped on the ground.

Shaking himself from his daze when he saw Rosalie holding the bat, Emmett immediately protested. "But Alice, he's human! We'll lose for sure now." The largest vampire whined childishly.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at her mate. "It'd even things out Emmett, seeing as you have _both_ Edward and Alice on your team. It's only fair that you get the human as well."

Emmett started sulking before Naruto spoke out. "Hey hey, don't you go underestimating me! I'll have you know that I'm an asset for the team. Miss Supermodel over there will regret not having me as her teammate." Naruto said, sticking out his tongue childishly at Rosalie. Rosalie glared back at him, though her lips were twitching. _I think I could like this human. He has some guts to compliment and insult me in the same sentence. _

Edward was observing the proceedings with wide eyes, shaking himself out of his stupor when he heard Rosalie's thoughts. "What are all of you doing? He's human! He's not supposed to find out our secret!" He shouted, trying to get his family to think logically. When they all turned to stare at him calmly, Edward started to panic. "I thought you didn't want to move again, Rosalie." He said, desperately trying to garner support.

"Oh relax. You can keep your little secrets. In fact, let's make a mutual agreement not to pry into each others' lives. That way, we don't have to reveal anything we don't want to. Oh and by the way, my name's Naruto, not human. So stop calling me that, it's grossly inaccurate seeing as I'm not even human to begin with." Naruto said nonchalantly, flapping his hands at Edward and dismissing his worries. Naruto then turned to Rosalie. "Can we start the game now? I'm itching to show off my moves." He whined petulantly.

Smirking, the blond vampire readied herself as she focused her stare on Alice. However, her words were directed at Naruto as she spoke. "I do hope those moves of yours would save you from looking like a clown. Well… actually, I don't. It would be rather amusing to see an idiot fumbling around trying to play with the pros." With that statement, Rosalie batted the ball with a loud clang, before dropping the bat and sprinting to first base.

Naruto smirked as he eyed the ball slicing through the air. Emmett was already running into the trees the ball was headed to. Forming a familiar cross-seal, Naruto created five Kage bunshins. Four of the clones paired up and each pair launched one of the two remaining Narutos into the air, right into the path of the ball, with the clone in front of the original. The clone was already flashing through seals as he flew into the sky, before releasing a wind jutsu to slow the ball and infusing his arms with chakra as he tried to catch it. However, even after being hampered by the gusts of wind, the ball was still travelling at impossibly high speeds. The impact of the ball as the clone tried to catch it was too large, and the bunshin was dispelled. Fortunately, Naruto had anticipated this, and was ready to catch the ball as it flew through the smoke left from the clone's departure. He grinned widely as he landed nimbly on his feet. "Looks like it's another air ball. And to think I was expecting a challenge." He taunted. "Who's the weak little human now, huh?" Naruto mocked teasingly as he turned towards Emmett who emerged from the trees.

"That was wicked! You didn't say anything about being able to make clones!" Emmett exclaimed excitedly.

Naruto shrugged casually. "You didn't ask."

"So what other tricks have you got up your sleeves? Besides the wind thing and the duplicates, I mean." Jasper cut in, looking at Naruto appraisingly.

"And that's not enough for you?" Naruto gasped, pretending to be offended. "You're one to talk. You can't do anything else besides running a little faster and lifting slightly heavier weights." The blond shot back.

Jasper smirked before Naruto suddenly felt an oppressive aura of gloom settle around him. Blinking in shock at the irrational sadness he felt, Naruto's eyes widened as it clicked. "You can manipulate emotions! That's so cool!" Naruto's grin then turned decidedly evil as he continued. "Well let's see what you make of this then." It was Jasper's turn to be stunned as he took an involuntary step back. It took him a second to realise that he was actually feeling fear and not sensing someone else's emotions. _No way, he can manipulate emotions too?_ His thoughts must have shown on his face for Naruto merely chuckled, allowing his killer intent to fade away. "That's all I can do when it comes to controlling emotions though. I can't stimulate happiness, sadness or anything else. Well, I guess I could stimulate anger if I annoyed someone enough, but that's about it." The blond said, grinning widely.

Naruto then looked up at the sky and noticed that it was starting to clear. "Hmm. It seems our game has come to an end. I'll be going then, see you guys around." He called, as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Naruto stilled before he turned to look at Carlisle. "Why don't you come over to our house for dinner? Unless you have someone waiting for you at home…" He trailed of.

Naruto mulled the offer over in his head for awhile before nodding. "Sure, who am I to refuse free food? And I live alone, so there wouldn't be anyone waiting for me anyway." He said, before gesturing for Carlisle to lead to way. "Wait a minute. I just realised I don't know any of your names. Well, apart from Edward who's my seat partner in biology." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is my wife, Esme. These are my children, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and Edward."

Naruto smiled. "It's nice to meet you all!"

Author's note: I hate writing conversations. They take up so much space and I've to think up synonyms of the word "said". Anyway, I'd like to thank The Group of One for pointing out my spatial problems. And of course, I appreciate all my other reviewers as well. Thanks for the support!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I take it you guys don't eat?" Naruto asked as he noticed that Esme had only placed a plate in front of him.

Emmett, who was sitting opposite him, grinned. "Not human food, at least." He didn't elaborate on what it was that they _did_ eat, and Naruto didn't ask. The ex-ninja merely shrugged before picking up his utensils and eyeing the plate of steak and potatoes hungrily.

"All the more for me then." He commented, before digging into his meal with gusto.

Rosalie sneered from her seat beside Emmett as she observed Naruto wolfing down his dinner. "Your table manners are appalling." She drawled arrogantly.

Naruto paused in his food-shovelling and stared at the blond vampire silently. "I am capable of dining with proper etiquette when the situation calls for it. However, I had thought that you'd not be like the pompous humans who insist on eating with small bites and folding their napkins in ridiculously complicated patterns. Have I thought wrong?" Naruto said smoothly, adopting a falsely polite tone often used by politicians and bureaucrats.

Jasper and Edward sniggered softly while Alice giggled into her hands. Emmett was hard pressed not to burst into laughter, but he managed, not wanting to provoke his mate. Carlisle and Esme both smiled indulgently. It was not often that someone challenged Rosalie in a game of wits. The male vampires refrained from doing so, afraid of the blond vampire going into a prissy fit, whereas Alice was too bouncy and was not interested in word games. Rosalie glared at the other blond, though her eyes were sparkling at the challenge. "Pompous, we're not. But cleanliness is respected in this household. You're giving poor Esme more work by splattering the table with pieces of your dinner. If you're going to eat like a wild animal, then perhaps you should relocate to the garden." Rosalie shot back, looking at Naruto smugly.

Naruto thought for awhile before replying. "Then I suppose I will have no choice but to clean up my own mess. It's only fitting, of course, seeing as you have already offered me good food and comfortable shelter." He held up a hand when Esme looked to protest. "Don't try to dissuade me. Once my mind is made up, no one can stop me." He said seriously, and then he gave her a bright smile. "This is really good food. You're an excellent cook, Mrs Cullen." He complimented.

Esme would have blushed if she could. "Thank you, Naruto. And please, call me Esme." Naruto grinned at her before returning to his meal, paying no mind to the vampires watching him.

* * *

"You should open a restaurant, Esme. I wasn't kidding when I said you were a good cook. That steak and potatoes was one of the best meals I've ever had. In fact, it's right up there with ramen, which is the food of the gods!" Naruto exclaimed as he wiped the table with a cloth.

Esme, who was washing Naruto's plate, smiled at him. "Ramen? The Japanese noodles? I take it you like ramen, then?" She asked.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Like it? I _love_ it! I used to eat it all the time when I was younger. It's too bad Britain doesn't have ramen." Naruto grumbled as he pouted.

Carlisle, who was sitting with the rest of his family on the couches in the living room heard their conversation and couldn't help but butt in, falling into his role as a doctor easily. "It has very little nutritional value though. It's not a very balanced meal, which is especially important for growing children." He lectured.

Emmett sniggered at that. "Maybe that's why you're so short, kiddo." Emmett teased, prompting Naruto to glare at him.

"Watch it, Grizzly. One day, the world's going to be ruled by short people. What are you going to do then?" Naruto challenged.

Emmett choked at the nickname. "_Grizzly?_"

Naruto shrugged. "Well you remind me of a bear. Would you prefer Mr. Teddy?"

Emmett quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. "No, no. Grizzly's fine with me."

Naruto rinsed the cloth one last time before folding it neatly on the counter. Glancing at the sky through the window, he winced when he noticed it was already dark. "Damn, I hadn't noticed how late it was. I should go home. Thanks for the game and for dinner as well." He said as he headed to the door.

However, Esme stopped him. "Why don't you stay for the night, Naruto. It's already very late and I can't let you go home on your own. I'm sure Edward can lend you some clothes to change into. You can drop by your house tomorrow morning to get your school supplies. Edward will give you a lift."

Naruto paused uncertainly. "I wouldn't want to be a bother –" He started but Edward cut him off.

"Esme's right, Naruto. Besides, didn't you want to play together? I have a piano and a guitar that you are welcomed to use." That decided things, and the blond was quickly ushered into the toilet with a set of pyjamas to change into.

* * *

"So what songs do you know?" Naruto asked, dressed in dark blue silk pyjamas that were a few sizes too big. He was sitting next to Edward with a shiny brown classical guitar whilst Edward had his hands resting lightly on the piano.

"Hmm… Why don't we play a song by Namikaze Minato, since we both listen to his music? How about 'Wasted Time'?" The vampire suggested.

"Sure, I know the chords." Naruto agreed, as he started to strum the guitar. Edward's fingers played across the piano keys as he joined in the melody. The music drifted around the room and Naruto opened his mouth and started to sing.

"Say it to my face  
Look me in the eyes  
And say what you have to say  
You know we can't erase  
These words before goodbye  
And turn the final page"

_This song was actually dedicated to Gaara. Naruto had visited Sand during his travels with Jiraiya and he had stayed there for a month. During that time, the Jinchuuriki and ex-Jinchuuriki had gotten close._

"Ah, here comes alone again  
'Cause everything's broken  
everything's vacant  
everything's wasted time again  
Sentiments, hopeless  
Innocence, jaded  
everything's wasted time again"

_Gaara had been captured by the Akatsuki and his demon was removed. In fact, Garaa had died in the extraction ritual and was only alive because Chiyo, an elderly sand-nin, had sacrificed her life to revive the red-headed boy. However, Garaa had never been the same again. And not just due to the loss of Shukaku either._

"And so we leave this stage  
And all our best written lines  
and all the acts we played  
so, say you want to leave  
and say we'd never have  
the way we always hoped we'd try"

_Garaa had fallen in love with a sand-nin named Kaoru. She was a cheerful and mischievous kunoichi who had not cared about Garaa's status as a jinchuuriki. She had managed to worm her way past Garaa's shields and into his heart. It would have been the perfect happy ending for the Sand jinchuuriki, if it hadn't all been an act._

"And say hello to alone again  
'Cause everything's broken  
everything's vacant  
everything's wasted time again  
Sentiments, hopeless  
Innocence, jaded  
everything's wasted time again"

_Kaoru had been a spy from the Akatsuki. It was her mission to get close to Garaa and keep tabs on him. She had been the one to lure Garaa out of his village, leaving him to fight against 2 Akatsuki members alone._

"Someday we might find  
(someday we will find)  
some sacred place in time  
(yeah, in time)  
but until then  
all we'll share  
are dreams we left behind"

_The last stanza referred to all jinchuuriki. They were born as sacrifices, and each had lived a life of hardship and prejudice. All they wanted was to find happiness, yet none of them were able to achieve their dreams. The Akatsuki had taken away any chance they had at happiness._

Naruto opened his eyes that had drifted shut while he was singing and found himself staring into concerned topaz eyes. "Are you alright? You sing beautifully, but why do you seem so… sad?" Edward asked as he stared into swirling pools of sapphire. Naruto blinked, and just like that, the sorrow in his eyes disappeared. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I was just… reminiscing." The blond yawned. "I'm getting tired, do you mind if I retire for the night?" Naruto asked. Edward shook his head as he allowed the change in subject. "Of course not. Come on, you can sleep in my room." He said, as he led the way to his room.

Naruto stared around in awe. Edward's room was beautiful, with large floor-to-ceiling windows that were overlooking the lush forests around the Cullen house. There was a bookcase with books stacked horizontally rather than vertically and a large cream leather couch. An antique wooden table with a matching chair stood in a corner of the room. It was a perfect blend of modern and antique culture. However, what caught Naruto's attention was the large collection of music cds stacked neatly next to his bookcase. The blond quickly wandered over to them as he browsed their titles. It seems Edward was a big fan of Clair de Lune. Naruto let a small smile grace his lips as he saw his first 8 albums amongst the pile, a rush of pride filling him. He knew he had many fans, but it was different actually seeing his compositions as part of someone's collection.

"I'm afraid I don't have a bed, but you're welcomed to use my couch." Edward said sheepishly, as he scratched the back of his head. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about that!

Naruto chuckled at Edward's sheepishness as he grinned. "Don't worry, I'm always prepared for a camping trip." The blond said as he placed two fingers on one of the symbols embroidered into his leather bracelet. The bracelet was a dark brown, with black chakra-infused strings forming intricate symbols woven into it. It wrapped around his wrist snugly and was approximately an inch wide. Channelling chakra into the seal, Naruto unsealed his sleeping bag, which appeared with a poof in the middle of the room.

Edward's eyes bugged out at the display. "How…" He spluttered, trying to get his mind to wrap around what he'd just seen.

"These are seals. They can be designed to do anything, really. These ones in particular are designed as storage seals. They create a pocket dimension in which I can store items." Naruto explained as he ran his fingers over the seals. "They are really handy when it comes to packing. With them, I don't ever have to lug heavy luggage around."

Edward was still blinking dumbly, though he managed to snap out of it. "You know, I've had more surprises today then I've had in my life, which is saying a _lot._" Edward said as he shook his head in mock exasperation before plopping down onto his couch. "Well, it is getting late. You should sleep." The vampire said as he watched the blond let loose another yawn. Nodding in agreement, Naruto climbed into his sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep.

Edward settled into the couch as he continued staring at the rise and fall of the other boy's chest. The boy was so small, with his head barely reaching Edward's shoulder. In fact, he was around the same height as most of the girls at Forks, definitely shorter than the average guy. He looked so fragile, with his golden locks splayed underneath his head and his face smoothed out peacefully in his sleep. He was gorgeous, and he was his mate. Edward felt a rush of protectiveness at that thought. His mate. Naruto was _his_. There were only two people whose blood would smell particularly enticing to a vampire. The first was the vampire's singer, bringing out the baser instinct of hunger and greed. Singers usually didn't live long, seeing as most vampires did not have the self-control to refrain from attacking and killing their singers. The second was the vampire's mate. They invoked feelings of passion, protectiveness and possessiveness. These feelings were what had driven Rosalie to carry the dying Emmett across hundreds of miles so that Carlisle could turn him. Edward hadn't really understood the concept of mates. The thought that there was someone out there for everyone just sounded so idealistic, like something out of a fairy tale. However, as he continued staring at Naruto, he couldn't help but think about how perfectly the blond complimented him and how the small body would fit ever so snugly with his own. Yes, Edward Cullen was now a firm believer of destined soul mates.

* * *

Naruto awoke immediately, having long trained himself to go from sleep to complete alertness. There was no time for the bleary half-awake state most humans went into when you were a ninja. "Good morning. Did you rest well?" Naruto turned towards the voice, and saw Edward greeting him with a smile. "Yes, I did. Thanks." He replied, blinking when he realised it wasn't a lie. The blond had had a nice rest indeed. His sleep had not been plagued by a single nightmare, which was a refreshing change from his usual fitful sleep. In fact, the last time Naruto felt so safe and relaxed was when he slept with Itachi's arms wrapped protectively around him. _Strange… But let's not look a gift horse in the mouth._ Kyuubi snorted in his mind. **You do know it was that exact thought that resulted in the downfall of the Trojan army? **_Oh so you're talking to me again? I thought you were giving me the cold shoulder as punishment for my rash and impulsive behaviour. _**I still don't understand how you've managed to survive this long without thinking through your actions. Oh wait, you wouldn't have survived if I didn't heal up your wounds all the time. **The large fox mocked. _Oh loosen up, Kyuu. They may be stronger and faster than the average human, but I'm sure I'll be able to take them if the need arose._ **Don't get cocky brat. The one with scars was able to manipulate emotions. Who knows what the rest are capable of?** Kyuubi warned.

While Naruto was conversing in his head, Edward was leading the smaller boy to the kitchen where Esme has already laid out breakfast. Snapping out of his mental conversation at the sight of food, Naruto dashed to the table and muttered a quick thank you before he proceeded to stuff himself. Jasper chuckled at the scene as he turned towards Edward, his expression turning solemn. _What was going on last night, Edward? I felt a strong wave of sorrow and regret coming from the little guy._ Jasper thought, knowing that his brother would hear him. Edward shrugged in response. He wasn't exactly sure of the reason for the blonde's melancholy himself. Jasper frowned, confused, as he turned back to watch Naruto demolish his breakfast. "Slow down, kiddo. The food's not going to run away." Jasper chastised as he watched the teen practically inhaling his food.

Naruto gulped down his last bite before glaring at Jasper. "First Emmett and now you. Stop calling me a kid. I'll have you know I'm probably old enough to be Carlisle's father." He snapped.

Carlisle, who had just entered the kitchen, chuckled lightly at overhearing the last comment. "I seriously doubt that, Naruto. Unless you're more than 200 years old." He said calmly.

Now it was Naruto's turn to stare in shock. "T-two hundred?! Wait, you guys are immortal too? I can't believe it! I thought I was the only one. But how? I _know_ you're not like me." The ex-jinchuuriki spluttered as he stared at the Cullens in disbelief.

"If it makes you feel better, before today, we thought that our kind were the only ones to achieve immortality as well." Edward spoke soothingly, trying to calm his mate.

Naruto stared at him in bewilderment before shaking his head. "You know what? Forget it. I don't want to know. You can keep your secrets and I'll keep mine. So how are we getting to school?" He asked.

"We need to drop by your house to get your school supplies. I can give you a ride there. Emmett and Rosalie can take their jeep and Alice and Jasper have their own car." Edward replied.

Naruto blinked. "Oh that won't be necessary. I can get my stuff myself." He said as he rolled up his left sleeve and placing two fingers on a seal tattooed on his bicep. He channelled chakra into the seal and summoned a small black fox, about a foot tall and two feet long. The vampire family started at that, gawking at the fox in amazement. "Shadow, could you go to my house and bring my school bag here please. And pick up a set of uniform as well." Naruto instructed. The small fox nodded at his summoner before melting into the shadows and appearing a few seconds later with the strap of Naruto's school bag in his mouth and a neatly folded uniform draped across his back. "Thank you, Shadow." Naruto said as he retrieved the items. "I'm going to go change." He said, addressing the vampires, before walking off to the toilet.

The Cullens continued to stare at the black fox before Edward closed his eyes and groaned. "I should have expected that. He said seals could be designed to do anything. The seals on his bracelet can create a pocket dimension!" Edward informed his family as he sank into his seat and rubbed his temples. He was lucky that his heart was no longer beating, or he would have had a heart attack with all the shocks the blond was springing on them. The black fox tilted his head to the side, inspecting Edward, before seemingly coming to a decision and leaping lithely into the bronze-haired vampire's lap. Edward's eyes widened at the creature curling up and snuggling into him. Animals were usually frightened of him, somehow sensing his vampiric status and knowing that he was a predator. Why was the little fox so relaxed in his presence? He looked up and met the gazes of the rest of his family, seeing that they were equally flummoxed.

"He seems to have taken a liking to you." Naruto said, as he entered the room dressed in his uniform. "This is shadow. I'm sure that you've surmised that he's no ordinary fox. He's actually a demon fox and has the ability to manipulate shadows. Don't worry, he's completely harmless. Shadow doesn't like fighting, he's rather lazy actually." Naruto introduced as he gestured to the lightly snoozing fox. "Shadow, we have to go to school now, so if you'd please vacate Edward's lap. You can go hunt in the forest." Naruto spoke to the furry creature, prompting the fox to reluctantly leave his comfortable position and jump onto the windowsill before scampering out of the house and towards the forest.

"He can understand you?" Emmett asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yes, he can understand English, Japanese and French. Shadow is still too young to speak though. His vocal chords haven't matured enough yet. Give it a decade or two and he'll be able to converse with you."

"He's so cute! Do you have any animals that can speak? Could you summon them, please?" Alice asked as she practically bounced in her seat.

Naruto chuckled. "Perhaps another time, we really do need to go to school."

* * *

The rumour mill was practically overflowing with gossip. The new guy, Uzumaki Naruto was hanging out with the Cullens! That had never happened before. The extremely attractive group was very exclusive and preferred to keep to themselves. Anyone who approached their table would be politely turned away. And yet, the blond transfer student was conversing easily with them. Many girls were disappointed at the Uzumaki's choice of lunch tables, seeing as they had wanted to eat with him. It was too bad that the hot new guy seemed to be accepted into the Cullens' group. Now it was going to be much harder to get close to him. That certainly didn't stop some from trying, though.

Jessica confidently strutted to the Cullens' table, making sure to swing her hips a little more than necessary. _I just need to tell Naruto all about the Cullens and let him see their true colours. That way, Naruto would be digusted and would leave them and come to me. He will be my boyfriend and all the other girls will be so jealous of me._ Jessica smirked as she imagined herself hanging off the arm of the gorgeous transfer student. Edward stiffened and narrowed his eyes as he heard Jessica's thoughts. The bitch had better stay away. Naruto was _his_, and he'd be damned before letting the slut sink her claws into him. The rest of the table quickly caught on to Edward's tenseness and Naruto raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about voice his question, Naruto felt the hairs at the back of his neck stiffen in warning a second before a slim hand rested itself on his shoulder. "Hi there, Naruto. I'm not sure if you remember me from yesterday. My name's Jessica, and I'm in your biology class."

Naruto turned to the girl and offered her a smile. "Of course I remember you. Is there anything I may help you with?" He enquired politely.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to sit with me and my friends." She said with falsely sweet smile.

"Err, thanks for the invitation, but I've already found a table." Naruto replied, hiding his annoyance at her rudeness.

Jessica's eyes roved over the Cullens before leaning towards Naruto. "You don't want to hang around with them. They are all _together_. And I heard that their mother is _barren_." She whispered, her tone dripping with scorn and disgust.

The Cullens all heard her clearly with their sensitive hearing and would have attacked her had Naruto not acted first. Recoiling away from her, Naruto had raised his hand and slapped her, blue eyes gracing her with a narrowed glare. "You have no right to insult other people like that. The Cullens are a wonderful family and I will not allow you to besmirch their name. Get away from me before I lose control and give you the thrashing you deserve." Naruto hissed angrily. Having been a victim himself, Naruto was fed up with all this irrational hatred and demeaning gossip that had once tormented him in his childhood.

Shocked and slightly terrified, Jessica quickly scurried away, a hand cupping her already swelling cheek. _Wait 'til Mike hears about this. That idiot will not get away with hitting me._ She thought vindictively as she ran to her boyfriend.

Author's note: I'm sure some of you are wondering why Edward didn't recognise Naruto's singing. All will be explained in the next chapter. See ya next time!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Twilight and this work is non-profitable.

Chapter 4

Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage, _the_ greatest ninja in the world, was being pushed into a corner by a group of untrained teenage boys. _Sometimes, I wonder at how far the mighty have fallen. _Naruto sighed as he cast his gaze at Mike and his football teammates who had somehow gotten their hands on a couple of baseball bats. **You **_**could**_** just slit their throats and be done with it, you know. **The fox grumbled, equally miffed at the fact that a few idiots thought they could take on his host.

"I'm sorry. I really don't want to do this. You seemed like a nice chap. But I can't just let you get off easily after hitting my girlfriend and all. Man's honour, you know. Besides, everyone knows that a guy can't raise his hand against a girl! I've no choice but to teach you a lesson." Mike Newton, flanked by his friends, said as he raised the metal bat in his hands. Jessica was standing off to the side, watching the ongoings with a sadistic smile on her face.

Naruto closed his eyes and wondered why these kinds of things always happened to him. "Look, I _really_ don't want to fight. But if you attack me, I'll have no choice but to defend myself. Please reconsider." The blond said, raising his hands placatingly.

"No can do, buddy. A guy's got to take responsibility for his actions." Mike replied before swinging his bat at Naruto. Seeing this, Naruto merely sighed at his failure to prevent any violence from occurring. _Oh well, it was worth a try._ He thought, even as he dodged the clumsily swung bat. Grabbing the metallic stick, he easily twisted it out of Mike's hands before calmly sweeping the boy's legs out from under him. Even as Mike was falling to the ground, Naruto didn't stop moving. He darted forward and pulled two boys together with swift tugs on the bats they were grasping. As the two crashed into each other and slid to the ground, Naruto threw the three bats he had behind him. He then somersaulted over the last two boys and delivered two swift kicks to their behind, pushing them to fall onto their comrades. All this was accomplished in less than 2 seconds. Eyeing the collapsed pile of teenagers before him, Naruto sighed once again at his predicament. He had made sure not to injure any of the boys, in fact, he'd be surprised if one of them sported so much as a bruise, but if he knew teenage behavoir well, then they wouldn't stop hounding him. Especially not after this humiliating defeat.

Turning so that he kept both Jessica and the boys in his range of vision, he spoke. "I know you guys don't want to lose face and all, but I'm not really in the mood to just stand there and take a beating. So how about we come to a compromise? I won't tell anyone about your resounding defeat and you don't disturb me. As for you, Jessica, I'm willing to apologise for hitting you if you apologise to the Cullens for what you said. What do you think? It's a win-win for everyone." Naruto offered, grinning brightly at them. Pale and shaking, the six teenagers nodded quickly at him before scrambling to get up and dash out of the gym. Watching them go, Naruto merely shook his head at the folly of youth. _Was I ever that bad?_ The Kyuubi was delighted to provide him with an answer. **Actually, kit, you were worse. Remember how you used to wear that kami-damned orange jumpsuit and vandalise the Hokage monument? **Naruto growled. _That was a rhetoric question, Kyuubi. _Metally sending a glare at the demon fox in his head, Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets and strolled out of the gym.

Mike and his goons had cornered Naruto after their gym lesson. Naruto had volunteered to help keep the equipment after class and the six teenagers had lingered around after everyone left. They had been acting strangely the entire day and Naruto was simply waiting for them to take action. After all, he had known from the start that slapping Jessica was not without its consequences. He didn't regret it, though. The girl really deserved it after what she said. Naruto had merely taken a few steps out of the gym before he was accosted by a bronze-haired immortal teenager. "What happened? Are you all right? I heard Angela thinking about how Jessica had gotten her boyfriend and his friends to 'teach you a lesson'. I came here immediately after the bell rang. They didn't hurt you, did they?" Edward babbled, while his eyes roamed over Naruto checking for injuries.

"Nah, they couldn't hurt me if they tried. Which, admittedly, they did. But everything's fine now. We've come to a compromise." Naruto replied cheerfully, mentally giving himself a pat on the back for being able to resolve the situation diplomatically.

"You shouldn't have slapped her. Now you're going to be targeted. They won't give up just like that. You should stick with us now. Make sure that at least one of us is at your side at all times." Edward said, his worry not abating.

"Woah, stop right there Edward. There's no need to go to that extreme. I can protect myself well enough. Besides, I've resolved the matter so it won't happen again. Now what's this about you hearing Angela's thoughts?" Naruto asked, having noticed what Edward let slip amidst his barrage of questions.

The vampire (though Naruto didn't know that) immediately started shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "Err... Did I say that? I meant I heard her _say_ that."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Sure you did. Am I to understand that while Jasper can manipulate emotions, you can read minds?" Even as he said that, Naruto felt his heart clench tightly in his chest. If Edward could read minds, then he would know all about Naruto's life, and the blond simply wasn't ready for that yet. If that was true, then it seems that the ex-ninja would need to move again. There was no way Naruto could continue to face Edward, knowing that he knew all his secrets.

As if understanding where his thoughts were going, Edward immediately spoke up. "Yes, I can read minds, but I can't read yours, or Bella's for that matter. I swear!" Edward had seen how Naruto had clammed up and drew away from him. If he thought that Edward could read his mind, it was likely that the blond would start to avoid him. Or worse, leave Forks altogether.

Naruto continued to stare at Edward, as if weighing the truthfulness in his words. _Kyuubi? What do you make of this?_ **I'm not sure, kit. I've never heard of mind-readers before. Though I'm pretty sure that he's telling the truth. Plus, if there was a presence in your mind, I would have felt it.** _You're probably right. He doesn't smell like he's lying. But we don't exactly know all their abilities. If he could read minds, it's equally possible that he could lie without being detected. _**I told you to be cautious. We don't know what we're dealing with here. **_I know, I know. But if I hadn't interacted with them, it's likely that I wouldn't have found out about his mind-reading abilities. Come to think of it, I wonder if it's only him who can read minds._ After a few minutes of silence that had Edward on edge, Naruto finally spoke up. "Why?" He asked simply.

Edward faltered at the question. He wasn't sure if he would scare Naruto off by telling him that they were mates. However, he somehow knew that the blond would know if he lied and he couldn't afford to betray whatever little trust Naruto had left in him. Steeling himself, Edward explained. "Well, it's a bit hard to explain so this might take awhile." When Naruto simply nodded and gestured for him to continue, Edward took a deep breath and spoke. "Some of our kind are gifted with a specific power. As you already know, Jasper is an empath while I can read minds. Alice, on the other hand, gets flashes of the future. Our gifts work on everyone but two people. These two people are specific to the vampire in question. The first, is the singer. Singers bring out the 'monster' in us. Their blood smells extremely tantalizing to us and our instincts urge us to drain them. Bella is my singer. The second would be the vampire's mate. Our mates would bring out our 'human side' and provoke protective feelings. While their blood smells equally if not more delicious than our singers', vampires will have no compulsion to drink their mate's blood. In fact, the very thought of hurting our mates is repulsive."

Naruto continued to stare at Edward as he mulled the information over in his mind. "I will need to think about this." Naruto said slowly. Before immediately turning and walking away. Edward let him leave, knowing that it was alot to take in and that he needed to give Naruto some time to think things through.

* * *

Naruto sat, slumped against the wall as he buried his face in his arms with his legs drawn up to his chest. _So... It seems that they're all vampires and that Edward is my mate. If the idea wasn't so outlandish, I would think that Edward was lying to me. _**He did seem rather sincere though. And, as you said, if he wanted to lie I'm sure he could have come up with something more believable. Either way, lying or not, brooding in your room would not help you solve the mystery. Are you a ninja or not? Gathering information is part of your job scope! **Sighing, Naruto pushed himself up into a standing position and put up the genjutsu that hid him from the five senses, though he made sure to give it extra strength in case vampires happened to have superior senses. _I'm an EX-ninja. You're right, though_. _It's time for some spying._ With that thought, Naruto stealthily leapt into the forest and headed towards the Cullen residence.

* * *

Edward had cooped himself up in his room the moment he got home, refusing to talk to anyone. He would tell them all about Naruto knowing their secret after Carlisle came back from work, when the whole family was there. That way, he wouldn't have to repeat himself. For now, all Edward wanted to do, was mope. He had basically told Naruto that he was a monster. He wouldn't be surprised if the blond moved away tomorrow. In fact, he would be more surprised if Naruto stayed. There was pretty much no hope of speaking to the blond ever again. Even if Naruto decided to stay in Forks, he would probably be avoiding Edward as if his life depended on it. Which wasn't all too inaccurate, all things considered. At least if he stayed, Edward would be able to watch him from afar. That was all the bronze-haired vampire could hope for at the moment.

The song in his ipod, which was set to shuffle mode, changed and Edward found that he was listening to _Wasted Time_. It was the song that he'd heard Naruto sing in that soulful voice that was filled with pain. Blinking, Edward sat up straighter as he realised that the voice coming from his ipod was extremely familiar, and not just because he had played it before. There was no doubt about it, Uzumaki Naruto and Namikaze Minato were one and the same. Naruto might have pitched his voice a little lower, but everything else was identical. Especially the way both injected their singing with emotion. How had he not realised it earlier? Granted, he was rather preoccupied with his mate's sorrow at the time, but that was no excuse. Mentally swatting himself over the head, Edward chastised himself for being so blind. Edward felt a sense of euphoria rush through him. The same artist that he had admired was his mate! He couldn't believe his luck! Naruto was even more perfect than he had previously thought. Though he wondered why Naruto was in Forks of all places when he was a famous singer. Then, realising his train of thought, Edward decided to actually whack himself this time. This revelation meant nothing. Naruto still knew that he was a vampire and was equally likely to leave him, famous or not. Sure, he now knew that Naruto probably had some shapeshifting power, seeing as how Namikaze Minato looked nothing like Naruto, but that didn't exactly provide him with a way to keep his mate by his side. Edward sighed as he slumped back in his seat. The ball was in Naruto's court now, and Edward could do nothing but sit back and wait.

* * *

When Carlisle came home, he immediately knew something was wrong. Esme was waiting for him on the front porch and she was wringing her hands nervously. "It's Edward. When he came home, he looked so depressed! He told me that he had something to tell all of us and that he would do so when you came back. Come, the rest of the children are already waiting in the living room." Esme replied in response to his questioning look before turning to go into the house.

Curious, and slightly wary, Carlisle followed his mate and found his children seated on the couches in the living room. Edward seemed to have a cloud of gloom hanging over him, and Jasper was constantly glancing at a window. Alice had her eyes closed and seemed to be trying to get a vision. Rosalie just seemed bored whereas Emmett was simply confused. When Carlisle entered the room, Edwards eyes snapped to his. Once Carlisle and Esme seated themselves comfortably, Edward spoke. "Naruto is my mate." He said without preamble and immediately gasps filled the room. Esme smiled at him. "That's great, Edward! You've been waiting for your mate for so long." Emmett clapped him on the back and congratulated him. Rosalie rolled her eyes, though her thoughts informed Edward that she was happy for him. Carlisle, on the other hand, simply waited for further elaboration, knowing that he was not done. Jasper showed no reaction to the news, but he'd probably already known Edward's feelings for the blond. When he glanced at Alice, he saw that she had stiffened and her eyes were glancing at the same window that Jasper kept looking at before. Realising that his eyes were on her, she immediately started chanting the chinese "san zhi jin" in her mind. He narrowed his eyes at her, but Alice simply met his stare calmly and Edward decided that he would get it out of her later. For now, he had some confessions to make.

"I told him, about what we are. I accidentally let my mind reading skill slip and he panicked when he thought that I could read his mind. I could see him immediately withdrawing from me so I told him that I couldn't read his or Bella's - she's my singer. Then he asked me why and I couldn't lie to him. I somehow knew that he'd detect any lies and I couldn't afford to break his trust any further." Edward said in a rush, wanting to get it over with quickly. He then shut up and waited for the bomb to drop. The rest of the Cullens blinked at him before Emmett spoke up.

"So? He already said that he wouldn't give away our secrets as long as we kept his. And he already knew that we weren't human to begin with. Besides, he's not human himself so technically we're not breaking the volturi's rules." The large vampire reasoned, not seeing why his little brother was so worked up about it.

Rosalie nodded in agreement with her mate. "He may be a little annoying and a bit of an idiot, but I have a feeling that he's trustworthy. Besides, it's not like anyone will believe him if he snitched." She added, gaining herself a few confused looks.

"Wow, Rose. You've _never _trusted anyone outside of the family before. Should I be jealous?" Emmett asked, still gaping at his wife and earning himself a swat to the head. "Jeez, I was just joking!" He protested rubbing his head in mock hurt and prompting his mate to role her eyes.

"I have to agree with Emmett and Rosalie, Edward. I don't see why you're so upset about Naruto knowing." Carlisle said, looking at his son worriedly.

Edward snapped. "Don't you see? He's probably moving away first thing tomorrow! He thinks that I'm a monster!" He spoke heatedly, glaring at his sire and trying to make him understand.

"Actually," a voice piped in, "I don't think you're a monster. And I'm most certainly not moving when I've only been here for three days." The seven vampires immediately turned to face the source of the voice, only to see Naruto perched on the windowsill. They gaped at him, having not sensed his presence at all. Well, except for Alice, who greeted him happily, and Jasper who merely nodded at him. Seeing them, Naruto sighed. "So you two knew I was there, huh. Damn. I've got to find a way around that." He muttered before something occured to him. "Wait, so Edward can't read your minds too?" He asked.

"He can, but there are ways to keep him from seeing your thoughts. I had to concentrate to keep my thoughts carefully blank and I believe Alice was singing something or other in her head to keep Edward out." Jasper replied, speaking for the first time that night.

"I was chanting the "san zhi jin"!" Alice chimed in cheerfully.

Finally snapping out from their stunned state, Emmett immediately pounced on the smaller blond. "That's so cool! How did you manage to hide your presence? I couldn't smell you or even hear your heartbeat!" He questioned, eyes shining like he'd found a new toy.

Chuckling at vampire's antics, Naruto replied. "I've quite a few tricks up my sleeve, Grizzly. So I was right. You guys _do _have heightened senses! Just another thing we have in common, I guess. Edward there spooked me out a little when we first met, after I realised I couldn't hear his heartbeat. He smelt weird too. You all do. I guess its a vampire thing."

Emmett shoved the blond playfully. "Ouch, blondie. Is that your way of saying that we stink? 'Cos I'll have you know that you smell funny too."

Naruto grinned at him before glancing at the other vampires and sobering. "Well, I guess since I know your secret, it's only fair that I tell you mine. My name is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto and I am an ex-ninja from the Elemental Nations." Seeing that he'd gotten everyone's attention, Naruto slid onto the sofa Edward was sitting on and started his explanation. Emmett had returned to his seat as well, and, like everyone else, was absorbed in what Naruto was saying. Naruto told them about the hidden continent, about chakra and about jutsus. He told them about how he'd gotten too strong and how he'd left his homeland after discovering his immortality. However, he neglected to mention how he attained said immortaility and his current status as a half-demon. He wasn't ready to tell them _that_ yet. After he was done, he sat back and waited for things to sink in.

"You're a _ninja_? The kind that wears black body suits and sneaks around places?" Jasper asked, thinking about the ninjas that were part of the Japanese military in the past.

"We are partial to darker colours and sneaking around is part of our job, but we're much better than those Japanese ninjas you're probably thinking about. They couldn't use jutsus, now could they." Naruto replied, with a tinge of pride in his voice. The Cullens continued drilling Naruto about his life until Esme declared that the blond needed to sleep and promptly sent everyone to their rooms.

* * *

Naruto found himself setting up his bedroll in Edward's room once again. He'd only spent one night in his own room so far, so after today he'd have officially spent more time in Edward's room than his own. Naruto sighed. If things continued in this manner, then he might as well pack up all his things and move them here. It appears that despite knowing he was a ninja and more than capable of taking care of himself, Esme didn't trust him to get home safely. Sitting on his bedroll, Naruto faced Edward and decided that he should address the situation sooner rather than later. "I need to make this clear to you, Edward. While I have no problems with your vampiric status, I'm simply not ready for a relationship right now. I have yet to get over my last one." He said, voice catching slightly at the last bit.

To his surprise, Edward simply nodded. "I know. I was watching your interview."

Naruto blinked at that. Interview? But that means... "You know that I'm Namikaze Minato?"

Edward smiled. "Your singing gave you away. Noone else can sing quite like you do."

"Oh... So, you don't mind right? I mean, I know we're mates and all, but -" Naruto started awkwardly.

Edward cut him off before he could finish, "No, I don't. I'm just glad you're not screaming and running for the hills."

Naruto smirked at him. "You're not _that_ scary, Edward. I've faced far worse before. Besides, I'm sure I could take you on if the need ever arose." He stated confidently.

Edward raised an eyebrow, detecting the challenge in his tone. "Is that so? Perhaps we may have a spar tomorrow?"

"You're on! You're going down vampire!"

* * *

"Why are we trekking in the forest at _9 am_ in the morning on a _Saturday_?" Emmett whined the next morning.

"You don't sleep, Emmett. So I really don't see why you're complaining." Jasper pointed out.

"That's not the point! I could still be in bed right now!" The large vampire exclaimed.

"Then go back. Noone's making you come." Edward retorted.

"And miss the greatest fight in history? I think not. This is going to be _way_ better than the wrestling shows on TV." Emmett said, eyes glinting in anticipation.

"Of course. It's not everyday you'll get to see a big bad vampire get trounced by a little boy." Naruto chimed in.

Edward let his eyes flicker towards his mate. "Someone's confident. And we all know what they say about pride and falls."

"Shut up, sparkly." Naruto shot back, smirking at the disgruntled look on Edward's face. That had become Edward's nickname once the blond found out about vampires sparkling in sunlight. Edward had asked why only he had that nickname when it applied to all other vampires, but Naruto had merely said that it suited him.

It was a Saturday and the seven vampires and one ex-ninja were trekking in the forest. Carlisle had taken leave after finding out about the spar Edward and Naruto had planned the night before. The oldest vampire was extremely curious and couldn't give up the chance to observe the blond boy's abilities. The other Cullens were much the same way, and when Edward and Naruto finally left the house, they realised that they would be having quite an audience. Finally, the eight came upon a large clearing and six of them settled down at the edges of the clearing while Naruto and Edward made their way to opposite ends.

"Let's just try not to deal any permanent damage, thought that's kind of hard considering our healing abilities. So anything goes, yeah? The spar ends when one of us manages to get the other's bell." Naruto said, tying his bell to his belt as he shouted across the clearing to Edward. Seeing the vampire nod, having already attached his own bell to his pants, Naruto turned to Carlisle and asked him to give the signal to start. Stepping forward, Carlisle lightly tossed a small pebble in the air. When the pebble landed on the ground, both combatants immediately rushed towards each other.

Without preamble, Naruto immediate summoned a dozen clones to surround Edward before each of them tossed a handful of kunai at the vampire. Seeing himself surrounded and finding a multitude of weapons flying towards him, Edward leapt into the air and outside of the circle, quickly taking care of the clones nearest to where he landed. Telling the clones and the original apart easily from their smell and lack of a heartbeat, Edward quickly dashed towards his mate intending to swipe his bell. Edward knew that while Naruto had a large repertoire of jutsu, all of it would be useless if he didn't have the time to make the seals. Furthermore, while the blond was trained in hand-to-hand fighting, he would be at a severe disadvantage if they engaged in close ranged combat considering Edward's superior strength and speed. However, Naruto had other things in mind. His first attack had resulted in kunai being embedded all over the training ground, and those kunai weren't any normal kunai either. They were three-pronged kunai, each with a special seal painted on them. Smirking, Naruto activated the Hiraishin no jutsu.

Naruto had known that he was no match for Edward in speed or strength and if they engaged in close ranged combat, Naruto's only hope would be to use the Rasengan. However, even though they had agreed that anything was allowed, Naruto still felt that the Ransengan (and its varients) were a bit of an overkill for a friendly spar. Thus, he had decided to use the Hiraishin instead. With that, he should at least be a match for Edward in speed. Edward's eyes widened when Naruto escaped him by being 'pulled' to a kunai to his left. The blond didn't actually move, yet he was transported from one spot to another and at speeds superior to that of an average vampire. Fortunately, Edward was faster than the average vampire and could keep up with Naruto. The spar degenerated to a game of tag as both combatants chased each other around the clearing, trying to swipe the other's bell. Finally, with a shout of triumph, Edward held up Naruto's bell, having succesfully grabbed it.

"Looks like I win." The bronze-haired teen said smugly, only to be confused when Naruto smirked in reply before the bell he was holding burst into a puff of smoke and became a stone.

"Actually, I do." Naruto said, before whistling a high pitch whistle. Shadow immediately materialised from the blonde's shadow and in his mouth were two bells. Edward looked down and realised that his own bell was no longer tied to him.

"When did you... How..." Edward stammered.

"I summoned Shadow immediately after creating my clones while they were still surrounding me and thus obstructing your view of me. After being summoned, Shadow hid in my shadow and waited for my signal. When you jumped in the air to avoid my kunai, you were facing away from me. So I switched the stone Carlisle threw with my bell and passed my bell to Shadow, putting up a genjutsu to make the stone look, sound and feel like a bell. When you ran at me, Shadow moved into your shadow and waited for the opportunity to swipe your bell. That came when you called out in triumph, as you were too preoccupied with 'winning' that you let your gaurd down." Naruto explained while he scratched Shadow behind its ears to congratulate the fox for a job well done.

Emmett whistled appreciatively. "The kid's smart. Though the lack of cool jutsu was rather disappointing. The funny thing that lets you move super fast was interesting though. You were faster than me!"

Jasper, too, nodded in approval. "You are very proficient in coming up with strategies and thinking on your feet. I'd like to play a game of chess with you one day."

Naruto made a face at that. "Thanks but no thanks. I can come up with great plans in the span of a few seconds, but if I have to sit down for hours debating my next move, I'll go crazy."

"I see." Jasper replied, slightly disappointed that he couldn't get a new chess opponent. It was pointless to play against Edward or Alice and noone else had any significant skill.

Seeing this, Naruto gave in. "But if you set a time limit per move then I guess I don't mind. Say we use thrity seconds per move?" He offered.

Jasper's face lit up. "Sure. That sounds alright."

Alice clapped her hands in glee. "Now that that's settled, Naruto, you're going shopping with me." Alice declared before dragging the befuddled boy off with her.

Meanwhile, Edward was still standing stunned in the clearing. "I lost..." He muttered. Still not really grasping the concept.

Taking pity on him, Esme walked forward and gently directed her son back home. "Don't worry Edward. There's always next time."

Seeing this, the rest of his siblings snickered and even Carlisle had to cover his smile. _That_ snapped Edward out of his trance and provoked him to glare at them.

However, as he looked at Naruto who was still being dragged along by Alice, Edward couldn't help but smile.

_His mate was with him._


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Twilight and this work is non-profitable

Chapter 5

"Remind me again why I must be here?" Emmet grumbled as he, together with Edward, Naruto and Jasper, sullenly followed after Rosalie and Alice. The six of them were currently in Fork's largest shopping mall - The Central. After apparently deciding that Naruto would be getting a new wardrobe, Alice and Rosalie had dragged the blond boy and all their mates along for the imprompto shopping trip. Edward had gone along as well since Naruto was going.

"To carry the bags, of course. Why else would we want you here?" Alice replied matter-of-factly as she browsed through the selection of clothes on a clothes rack. Rosalie didn't even bother to acknowledge her mate.

"I feel like a pack mule. And why can't you carry your own bags. It's not like they're too heavy for you or anything." The largest vampire whined, prompting Rosalie to spin around and glare at her mate.

"What kind of man are you? How could you even _think_ about making girls carry _anything_?" Emmet seemed to shrink under the disapproving gaze of his mate as she lectured him about proper gentlemanly behavoir.

"If you know what's good for you, you'd learn to shut up, Emmet." Jasper suggested softly.

"At least _you_ don't have to try on the gazillon different outfits they pick out. Which, by the way, are totally unnecessary, seeing as I have a perfectly functional wardrobe at home." Naruto piped in, pitching the last statement at a slightly higher volume, showing that it was really meant for Rosalie's and Alice's ears.

"Oh hush, you. I've seen what you boys claim to be a wardrobe and I'm far from impressed. A few pairs of jeans and tee shirts do not count." Alice lectured, still not turning away from her perusal of clothing.

"If I ever needed something else, I could always just put up a genjutsu." Naruto grumbled lowly, miffed that Alice had guessed what his 'wardrobe' consisted of. His statement had both girls turning around to gape at him.

"That's... that's... completely UNETHICAL!" Alice exclaimed.

"You _can't_ just weave an illusion in place of getting actual clothes! The whole point of dressing well is to show that you've put in effort to look good. You can't just cheat and take the short-cut. It's a crime against fashion!" Rosalie hissed angrily, marching towards Naruto and poking a finger in his chest. Her tirade, coupled with Alice's glare, had Naruto backing up nervously, hands put up in a placating manner.

"Alright. I get it. No more illusions and I'll get all the clothes you girls think I need." The blond practically squeaked as he eyed the female vampires warily. The three male vampires looked amused at the sight, though Edward had to quash down on his instinct to tear Rosalie apart for threatening his mate. The party of non-humans continued to make their way through the store when their keen ears picked up on a certain conversation.

"Did you hear? Namikaze Minato's last album was just released today! I reckon we'll be able to get our hands on it in two to three weeks time!" A redheaded girl chattered excitedly to her friend.

"Oh my god! Really? I can't wait. His voice is simply awesome. Plus, he is _gorgeous._" The brunette replied.

As if something just occurred to him, Jasper turned to Naruto. "Wait, you said your full name was Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, right? Any relation to Namikaze Minato?" He asked.

Naruto blinked at him. "You guys don't know? Edward didn't tell you?" He asked, turning towards the vampire in question.

Edward merely shrugged. "It never came up." He offered as an explanation.

"Oh. Well then. I tell you all when we get home. That will be incentive for you girls to wrap up this trip faster." The blond said cheekily as he turned towards the two females who rolled their eyes at him.

Alice's eyes blanked out for awhile before she stuck out her tongue at Naruto. "I already know what you're gonna do." She said, prompting Naruto to sulk and mutter about stupid annoying seer vampires.

Edward, on the other hand, felt a warm sensation rush through him when he noticed that the blond had referred to their house as 'home'. Naruto may not realise it yet, but he was starting to accept the fact that he was part of the family.

* * *

"So, what's it like knowing the future. Doesn't life get boring after awhile?" Naruto asked, looking at the dimunitive vampire curiously. Their group had split up a while ago, with the other vampires going to grab some groceries for Esme so that she could cook for Naruto. The blond had tried to refuse, or at least pay for the groceries, but the Cullens simply ignored him. Alice had dragged Naruto off to the last clothes store before he could argue his case properly.

"Oh no, I don't know for sure what's going to happen. I only get visions when someone makes a decision to do something and only if the end result concerns me or my family. Though I'm able to focus on a person and get visions of what he or she plans to do." She explained.

"You mean you cannot predict natural events? But how is it that you can predict the weather?" Naruto asked, confused.

"That's because the weather forecast usually comes in the day before, and I can See the weatherman making the forecast for the next day." The pixie-like girl said.

"I see. So that day when I was hiding outside your window... You only knew I was there because I decided to reveal myself?" Naruto said slowly, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Yep." Alice confirmed.

Naruto looked at Alice strangely. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid that I'd use this against you?"

Alice shook her head with a smile. "I know you wouldn't spy on me without a good reason. And even if you do, you wouldn't use whatever information you gained against me."

"How can you be so sure of that? You've only known me for three days." Naruto demanded. He couldn't understand why the whole Cullen family had accepted him so easily.

"I'm a Seer, Naruto. We _know_ these things." Alice replied with a mysterious smile as she headed towards the cashier, leaving Naruto to stare at her back.

* * *

"So, what was it you said you were going to tell us?" Jasper asked as they all plopped themselves down in the living room.

"Oh right! Watch this." Naruto said as he quickly formed a few seals. "Henge no jutsu!" He cried and there were five gasps as the vampires stared at the stranger in their living room.

"Do you mean to tell us that _you_ are Namikaze Minato? Britain's famous pop star? The great singing sensation? And Edward's secret idol?" Emmett demanded. The last bit was added with a cheeky grin as he glanced at his brother.

"I guess you could call me that." Naruto replied before turning to Edward. "Why, I didn't know you held me in such high esteem! I'm flattered." The blond said, fluttering his eyelids exaggeratedly. Edward merely swivelled to glare at his 'older' brother. It wasn't as if he could say that he didn't hold Naruto in high esteem because he did, but to say that Naruto was his idol! Well fine, so Edward did place Naruto on a pedastral sometimes with how he kept thinking the blond was perfect, but still...

"Isn't it great? We have our very own pop star." Alice squealed happily.

"I'm retired, Alice. It doesn't count." Naruto pointed out.

"Yes it does. Your retirement doesn't change your voice, does it? We won't ever need to use a cd player with you around!" Alice exclaimed.

Naruto twitched. "Glad to be of service. Being a substitute for a cd player has always been my lifelong dream." Naruto replied sarcastically.

Alice, predictably, simply ignored the sarcasm. "Really? That's great! It's always nice to know when I help someone achieve their lifelong dream." She chirped happily.

Naruto merely sighed as he palmed his face in his hands. "Why do I even bother? My respect for you has reached a whole new level, Jasper. How do you put up with her?" He asked, addressing the empath, smiling to show that he meant no offense.

"Compared to Edward's broodiness, Emmett's immaturity and Rosalie's vanity, Alice's insanity is actually very manageable." Jasper replied, earning himself three glares and a swat from his mate.

Naruto laughed. The Cullens may be an odd bunch, but they were a great family all the same.

* * *

"I call Edward and Alice." Naruto said, grabbing the two said persons' arms. It was another stormy day and as per tradition, the Cullens were out playing baseball.

"Nuh-uh. No can do, shrimp. You got them last time." Emmett said, shaking his head firmly.

"Fine." Naruto sulked. "Then I want Jasper." He said, letting go of the two arms in his grasp and pointing to the empath.

"How about this," Carlisle spoke diplomatically. "Naruto, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward can be on one team and the rest of us will make up the other team." There was a moment of silence as the seven vampires and one human pondered this arrangement.

"Sounds good. Though you guys should know by now that whatever team I'm on will just thrash the other." Naruto boasted, prompting Rosalie to roll her eyes and Emmett to protest angrily.

"We'll just have to play and see, Naruto." Alice said in a sing-song voice.

The two teams got into position. Carlisle's team was batting, which left Naruto's team to field. They played for awhile, during which Emmett and Alice managed to score a homerun apiece. It was Carlisle's turn to bat and Alice was just about to pitch the ball when she froze, her eyes blanking out. Already used to this behaviour, her family merely waited for the vision to be over. However, Edward suddenly froze as well, before his eyes darted to Naruto and he immediately sprinted towards his mate. Edward protectively held onto Naruto's elbow as his eyes darted towards the trees surrounding them.

"Well? We're not all seers and mindreaders here. Mind reviewing for the rest of the class?" Naruto asked, though he made sure to pitch his voice low. He, too, glanced around warily, searching for the threat.

"Three vampires. They're on the way here now. There's no time for us to escape." Alice replied, also running to Naruto's side. At that statement, the vampires all started to surround Naruto, forming a protective circle that blocked him from view.

"Err, guys? You don't have to protect me. I can look after myself, you know." Naruto protested weakly. A part of him was insulted by their behavior, but for the most part, he was touched. After all, Naruto had always been the one doing the protecting. It was... refreshing to be protected for a change. However, before Naruto could ponder further on how he felt about being protected, three vampires broke through the tree line.

"We thought we heard a game going on. Mind if we join in?" The blond haired vampire in the middle asked, grinning at the Cullen family. Naruto, mostly obstructed from view by the veggie vampires shuddered slightly. That grin on the vampire's face reminded him of that slimy pervert, Orochimaru.

"Sure." Carlisle spoke up, easily falling into his role as patriach and leader of the coven. "I am Carlisle Cullen and this is my family. May I know who you are?" He asked politely. _"Edward, take Naruto and leave now. We'll distract them and keep them here."_ Carlise said mentally, knowing that his son would pick up on his stray thought. True to form, Edward nodded almost imperceptibly to Carlisle and his hold on Naruto's elbow tightened.

"I am Laurent." The dark haired and strangely tanned vampire said. "This is James," he introduced, gesturing to the blond vampire before nodding his head at the red-headed female, "and this is Victoria. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you. Two of my sons need to attend to something so two of you may take their places on Jasper's team." Carlisle said, gesturing to said empath.

"I will referee. One of you can take my place on Carlisle's team." Esme spoke up, smiling at the three vampires politely.

As the group broke apart and the vampires quickly split into teams, the Cullen vampires quickly informing the newcomers of their teammates, Edward all but dragged Naruto away. However, before they could get to the car, a gust of wind blew into the clearing and Naruto's scent was clearly broadcasted to the vampires. All of them stiffened, before the three red-eyed vampires immediately focused their sights on Naruto.

"What's this? You've brought us a snack?" James sneered nastily at Naruto, prompting the ex-ninja to roll his eyes.

"Try it, vampy. I guarantee you won't like the consequiences." Naruto shot back, ignoring Edward who was desperately trying to shush him. Edward was panicking, his mind going through countless scenarios where Naruto gets hurt or worse. The vampire couldn't help but glare slightly at his brash and apparently very stupid mate. Really, it was common sense not to antagonise a hostile vampire who can tear you up in seconds.

"Tsk tsk, Carlisle. You know the rules. Don't worry, I'll take care of the little human for you." James said, taking a step forward. Edward immediately pushed Naruto behind him and crouched defensively, snarling at James.

"That's where you're wrong, Jamie." Naruto mocked. "The rules state that no human who knows about the existence of vampires can be allowed to live. The Cullens have not broken that."

"What do you mean? You obviously know about us." James demanded.

"Well, it's simple, isn't it? I'm obviously not human." Naruto said with a decidedly evil grin as he allowed his eyes to flash red and released some killer intent.

James and his two companions took an involuntary step back as they felt the intimidating aura suddenly emitting from the not-so-human boy. "W-What are you?" Victoria practically squeaked, eyeing Naruto warily.

"Hmm. You don't know?" Naruto taunted as he walked around Edward and prowled towards the wary vampires. "I'm a demon." He explained, making sure to flash some fang as he grinned at them.

"You're lying. Demons don't exist. You're just some pathetic human trying to act tough." James accused, trying to make up for being scared by Naruto's killing intent.

"Oh yeah? Can humans do this?" Naruto asked as he quickly condensed a ball of foxfire in his right palm before tossing it at James. Naruto had discovered his ability to wield foxfire after merging with Kyuubi and he quickly mastered complete control over the icy blue flame. The human blood-drinking vampire was so shocked that by the time he thought to dodge, it was too late. He managed to prevent being hit straight in the chest - which was Naruto's target - but his left arm was hit and quickly became encased in flames. Screaming in pain and desperate not to let the flames spread to the rest of his body, the vampire tore off his own arm and tossed it at the ground. To vampires' surprise and horror, the ground around the still burning arm did not catch fire. It fact, it wasn't even charred. However, the desmembered limb didn't fare as well. It was reduced to ashes in a few seconds.

"This is the Cullens' territory. I suggest the three of you leave immediately or I _will_ kill you." Naruto warned. His usual cheerfulness was absent from his face and his eyes were cold. Everyone knew that the blond was completely serious in his threat. The three vampires nodded shakily before quickly vacating the area, James still clutching onto the stump of his arm. The vampire would not be permanently miamed - the arm would grow back within a week - however, Naruto had achieved his objective. Those three vampires would not mess with him again.

There was a long silence in the clearing as the vampires tried to process what had just occurred. Naruto, on the other hand, was starting to feel uncomfortable with the growing silence. He hadn't meant to frighten the Cullens, he had only intended to scare the other vampires again. Had he gone too far? _They probably don't want to associate with me anymore. Now that they know more of what I'm capable off, they're going to want me to leave. To them, I just became a threat._

"You never told us you could do that." Emmett's voice broke the silence. If Naruto had looked up, he would have seen the grin on the bulky vampire's face and understood that Emmett thought his ability to wield foxfire was cool. However, Naruto couldn't bring himself to look at the Cullens' faces, so sure of the hatred and fear he would see there. Naruto was usually very cool-headed (after he grew up and stopped acting like an idiot), and he didn't jump to conclusions often. However, this was his one weakness. Many people who knew Naruto would claim that he had an innate self-confidence. While he wasn't arrogant, Naruto had a calm air about him that spoke of his belief in himself. This wasn't a hundred percent accurate. Sure, the blond trusted his instincts and abilities. Naruto knew his strength, and he wasn't afraid to show it. Naruto only underestimated himself when it came to how much others cared about him. As a child, he'd been beaten often and told that no one would ever love a demon. After awhile, the message had stuck. Despite how hard Naruto fought to gain more friends and precious people, a part of him had already accepted that he was destined to be alone. Itachi's death had only served to strengthen that belief. Naruto wasn't meant to be loved, and anyone who did so would be killed.

"I'm sorry. I should have said so earlier. I will leave Forks today. You don't have to worry about me threatening your family." Naruto spoke lowly, his bangs shadowing his eyes as he turned to go. However, even before he could take a step, a cold hand wrapped itself firmly around his wrist.

"What are you talking about? You are not leaving. I won't allow it." Edward's tone left no room to argue as he forcibly pulled Naruto to face him.

"We don't want you to leave, Naruto." Esme said, smiling at the blond.

"Edward's right, kiddo. You're part of the family now. We aren't letting you off so easy." Emmett added and Rosalie nodded in agreement.

"You're stuck with us forever!" Alice chimed in. Jasper, who was standing by her side, clearly supported his little mate's statement.

"B-But I could kill you! I'm a threat! How could you want me around?" Naruto demanded, his eyes darting from vampire to vampire.

"You could, yes. But would you?" Carlisle asked calmly, and Naruto could only gape at him.

"That's... That's not the point!" Naruto spluttered, trying to wrap his mind around the situation. Don't they get it? He could harm them! Common sense dictated that they should fear him and thus demand his immediate departure.

"We are not like those ignorant humans." Rosalie scoffed. "We won't fear you just because you have the potential to harm us. If you haven't noticed, any member of our family has the capability to harm another member. But we trust each other. We know that we won't harm each other intentionally and that is enough."

"So you still want me to stay?" Naruto asked slowly. His voice was so small that it was a good thing that vampires all had very good hearing or they wouldn't have heard him.

"Of course we do. In fact, you are not allowed to leave. Now come on, I do believe it's time for dinner." Edward said, pulling Naruto towards the car. He had not released his mate's wrist the entire time.

"Oh yes! I have a new recipe I would like to try!" Esme exclaimed happily as she too headed to the cars, chattering away at what she had planned to cook for Naruto. The blond ex-Hokage could do nothing but be pulled along, his mind still processing the vampire's easy acceptance.

* * *

**Kit, you should tell them.**

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Kyuubi's repeated urging. _You've said that at least ten times already Kyuu. I told you I would tell them when the time is right._

**And when, exactly, would that be? **The demon fox pressed, not willing to let his host off this easily.

_Whenever I feel up to it._ Naruto replied firmly, clearly indicating that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. Kyuubi sighed and decided to let his host be, for now. His host would see the light. Eventually.

Naruto shook his head slightly as he felt the fox retreat in his mind. Kyuubi wanted Naruto to come clean with the vampires, to reveal his hanyou status. The logical part of Naruto's mind happily pointed out that the Cullens already knew that he wasn't human and that Naruto had already called himself a demon in their presence. Besides, being vampires, they really had no business discriminating against other non-humans. However, the emotional part of Naruto's mind was being petulant and insisting that revealing the truth would only serve in driving away the only friends Naruto would make in several decades. _Kyuu is right, though. _Naruto thought, a determined glint in his eye. _They **do** deserve to know. It's only fair since they've done so much for me. Not the mention the amount of trust they have in me. It's settled. I'm telling them tonight._ Naruto decided, pointedly ignoring the smirking fox at the back of his mind.

Unknown to the distracted blond ninja, Jasper had been observing him throughout his mental tirade. The feelings of irritation, confusion, hope, despair and finally resignation that emitted from the blond were creating a whirlwind of emotions that would have driven the empath crazy. It was a good thing that vampires had much more mental strength than the average human. Jasper idly wondered what it was that had the newest addition to their family so wound up, but he decided to let the boy confide in them whenever he felt ready. And so Jasper watched as Naruto gulped down his meal of spaghetti bolognese, smiling slightly as his newest little brother got pasta sauce all over his face.

* * *

"Hey, Jasper, how about we have that match I promised you now?" Naruto asked. He was stalling and he knew it, but the no-longer-whiskered boy simply couldn't help himself. _After the game. I will tell them after the game._ He vowed as he started to arrange his chess pieces.

"I will be your timer!" Alice piped up, excitedly watching the two begin their game. Sure, she could already See the outcome, but still. The game was fast and brutal. Both players were experts in strategy and it was an intense battle of wits. Jasper came up with intricate plans and multi-layered traps, whereas Naruto was extremely unpredictable. It would seem as if Jasper would win in the next few moves, then Naruto would make an unexpected move and completely change the tide of the game. Jasper played with the calmness and strength of the Earth, whereas Naruto played like the suddeness and unpredictability of Lightning. However, it seemed that eventually, lightning would be absorbed into the ground, as Jasper finally managed to back Naruto into a trap that he couldn't find a way out of.

Despite his loss, Naruto didn't seem very disappointed. Instead, his eyes gleamed at the challenge before another idea popped into his head. Surprising everybody in the room, Naruto turned to Alice and grinned. "How about I play against you next?"

Alice blinked. "I don't mind, but you know of my ability. It would be impossible to win against me when I can See every strategy you plan."

"Don't be so sure of that just yet." Naruto advised, still grinning. And so, the table was set and the game started.

_Kyuu, this game is all yours. Don't tell me your strategy or anything, just tell me what moves to make._

**Sure thing, Kit. Don't worry, we have this game in the bag.**

_You had better hope we do. It would be embarassing and not to mention humiliating to lose to a girl not even one-twentieth your age, Mr-10,000-year-old-demon_.

**Shut up and move my pawn to E6.**

* * *

The whole Cullen family were currently gaping at the chess board. "How? But- What just happened?" Emmett finally managed to make out whilst digesting the fact that Alice just lost at chess. Alice _never _lost. Not even to Edward. The two usually ended up in a tie, otherwise Edward would lose.

Naruto grinned at all their faces. "So I was right. You can only get visions of humans and vampires. You told me once that your Seeing ability did not work on the LaPush shapeshifters, so I theorized then that your ability only worked with those who were the same species as you at one point of time. This proves my theory right."

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't quite understand, Naruto. Alice has been able to get visions of you before." Carlisle said, and the rest of his coven nodded in agreement to his statement.

Naruto turned serious as he looked at the vampires seated around the living room. "I think everyone should get comfortable. This would take awhile. It's time I reveal what I truly am."

"What do you mean? I thought you said you were a ninja?" Rosalie asked, narrowing her eyes. She did not take kindly to liars.

Naruto seemed to understand the implied threat for he replied quickly. "And I _am _a ninja. But a ninja is more of an occupation than a specie. The ninjas back in the Elemental nations are mostly humans. They are merely more intuned with their chakra, which is a mix of spiritual and physical energy, than the humans here. That is what allows them to perform jutsus. You know I am not human, but I have never actually told you what I am."

"You told those other vampires that you were a demon. Is that what you are?" Esme asked slowly, not wanting to offend Naruto.

Unfortunately, Naruto misinterpreted the reason for her heisitance. He couldn't help but wince at what he perceived to be the fear and caution in Esme's tone. "Not really. But it's close enough. I am what you would call a hanyou, or half-demon." The blond admitted, before quickly withdrawing into himself. He had done his part, now the Cullens would decide what happened next.

"I don't care." Edward spoke up immediately. "You forget that we aren't exactly humans ourselves. Why should we be bothered by your being a half-demon?"

Naruto's head snapped up at Edward's words. "Really? You don't care? You don't think that demons are bloodthirsty creatures that love manslaughter? You aren't afraid that I would feast on your flesh and blood?"

"Naruto, from what we have observed, I think you would much rather feast on ramen and Esme's cooking. Besides, we are _vampires_. We are far more likely to feast on _your_ flesh and blood." Edward replied calmly, shaking his head at his mates foolishness.

"You are part of our family, Naruto. No matter who or what you are. What I don't understand, though, is how Alice manage to have visions of you at all. Since Alice has never been a half-demon, her ability should not work on you at all." Carlisle said, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he thought.

Naruto blinked at the family of vampires. They really seemed not to care at all. The blond couldn't help but let a grin stretch across his face. "Well, you see, I was not always a half-demon. I was born human and remained human until I was 17. That's why Alice can get visions of me. As for why she couldn't see my strategies in the chess game, well, that's because it wasn't me who was playing." Naruto explained. Seeing the befuddled expressions on the Cullen's faces, his grin widened. "Come on, let's relocate to the forest. There's something I want to show you." Without saying any more, Naruto turned and led the way to the clearing in which he and Edward had sparred in. The confused vampires could do nothing else but follow.

* * *

When the family of eight finally stood around the clearing, Naruto turned to the dimunitive pixie vampire and smirked. "Didn't you say you wanted to see one of my talking animals, Alice? How about I summon one right now? And not just any one, but the oldest and strongest of my foxes."

**Wait. Kit, surely you don't mean-**

Flashing through seals, Naruto then bit his thumb and smeared his blood onto the ground, grinning reassuringly at Edward when the vampire's eyes widened in alarm at the wound. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Kyuubi no Kitsune!" Immediately, a huge plumb of smoke appeared and when it cleared, a miniature Kyuubi was in the clearing. The demon fox was about the size of a large stallion and its nine tails swished about menacingly causing the vampires to take a step back.

"**I can't believe you summoned me, Kit. And for something like this, too. Don't you know that you only summon a Boss when you're stuck in a battle you can't win otherwise?" **Kyuubi growled irritatedly as he glared at Naruto. Seeing this, Edward immediately grabbed Naruto and shoved him behind his back, crouching in front of his mate protectively.

"Oh stop sniping already. I know you were itching to get out and have some fresh air. Relax Edward, Kyuu means no harm. Everyone, please meet Kyuubi. He was sealed in me the day I was born and merged with me when I was seventeen. Though he's usually much bigger than this. I couldn't summon him in his true glory as he would tower over the trees and cause everyone to panic. Kyuu is also the one who played that chess game against Alice. So you don't have to feel bad, Alice. Kyuu's at least ten thousand years old. There's no way you could have beaten him." Naruto explained.

"Are you saying that this... Kyuubi is sealed in that pocket dimension of yours?" Jasper asked.

"Oh no. Kyuubi's sealed in _me_. And he's stuck in me forever now that we've merged. Even though I can summon him, allowing him to come out, Kyuu is still bound to me. He cannot venture more than a mile away from me and if I die, he will die too. When he is not summoned, Kyuu resides, well, within my soul, I guess. We can communicate mentally and all. My other summon animals exist in a separate dimension and only come to this one when I call for them."

The vampires stared at Naruto and Kyuubi for awhile before Alice squealed. With a single leap, she glomped the large fox, hugging him aorund his neck. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Kyuubi! I have never met a 10,000-year-old demon fox before! You're so cute! Can you give me a ride? Please? Please? Please?" Blinking slowly at the pixie-like vampire, Kyuubi nodded slowly before allowing one his tails to wrap around Alice's waist and plopping her onto his back.

**"Hold on tight, little girl." **Kyuubi said before turning to Naruto. **"I'll race you to the lake, Kit."** With that, the fox bounded off, with Alice squealing happily on his back.

"Hey! No fair!" Naruto cried indignantly. He was about to race after them when Edward stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You won't be able to beat them like that." Edward said before turning and offering Naruto his back. "Climb on, I'll catch up to them in no time." Grinning, Naruto quickly hopped onto Edwards back and vampire took off. It didn't take long for the blond to start whooping in joy. After all, he had never travelled so quickly before. Hiraishiin didn't count. That was more like teleportation than anything. He couldn't feel the wind in his face the way he was feeling it now. True to his word, Edward managed to catch up to and finally overtake Kyuubi and Alice. Though not without the fox and his rider calling foul. It didn't take long before the Cullens plus Naruto and Kyuubi were all at the lake, laughing and having fun. Everyone was splashing each other and after awhile, even Rosalie didn't care about her appearance as she tackled Emmett into the lake.

With a mischievious grin, Naruto decided to take things up a notch. He reached out to tap Edward on the shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" He announced, before jumping towards the lake. Edward immediately leapt after him, but there was only one splash. As Edward emerged from the water, confused, he spluttered at the sight of his mate standing calmly on the water surface grinning at him.

"You can walk on water?" Emmett exclaimed, pointing at Naruto with his jaw hanging slightly. "That's so uber cool! And freaking unfair! I wanna be a half-demon too." He sulked.

Naruto laughed. "Actually, most ninja are able to walk on water. It's one of the first things we learn after graduating from the Academy. So are you going to catch me or not, Edward. You could always give up and catch someone else."

Edward growled at the challenge and lunged towards Naruto, who merely laughed and jumped out of his reach. Naruto continued taunting the poor vampire and laughing as Edward only succeeded in getting himself soaked. He was having so much fun that he didn't notice Kyuubi walking onto the lake nor did he see the wandering tail until it was too late. The tail swiftly wrapped around Naruto's ankle and dragged him underwater. Seeing this, everyone burst into laughter, and the laughter only doubled when the spluttering blond surfaced and started glaring at Kyuubi.

* * *

AN: I would like to apologise for the extremely long delay, but I got sidetracked... Heh. The stuff I wrote about Alice's ability probably isn't all that accurate but, well, that's how it is in this story. By the way, I'm thinking of bringing Gaara in. He'll be the only one besides Naruto from the ninja world. What do you guys think? If I do bring him in, he'll be paired with Jacob. Bella will not be evil in this story, but she will not play a big role either.

AN: Just to clear up something, in this story, the shapeshifters already have the gene in their DNA. So they were never human to begin with. Whether or not they can transform will depend on whether or not the gene becomes active instead of the dormant state it is in when they're born. Thus, Alice's power won't work on them at all. Not even before they transform.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Twilight and this work is non-profitable

…: Any words in these brackets are spoken in Japanese, the native language of the Elemental Nations.

Chapter 6

The eight vampires, one half-demon and one demon played and splashed about in the lake for almost an hour before Kyuubi stiffened, closing his eyes as he spread his chakra around the area. Seeing this, Naruto did the same, trying to find out what Kyuubi had sensed. It didn't take long before both demon and half demon locked in on the approaching chakra signature. _Wait a minute, _Naruto thought, _I recognise that signature. _ Not three seconds later, a small raccoon the size of a housecat appeared in a poof of smoke.

You have no idea how hard you are to find, Naruto-sama. It was fortunate that I sensed your chakra spike when you summoned Kyuubi-sama, or it might have taken weeks for me to find you. The little raccoon grumbled.

Pachi? What are you doing here? How did you even come here in the first place? I didn't know summons could cross over to this world. Naruto asked, eyes wide in shock as he took in the sight of Gaara's favourite summon. Pachi had been used as a messenger of sorts, delivering Gaara's letters to Naruto when they were living in separate countries.

Summons live in a separate dimension, Naruto-sama. That flimsy barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations wouldn't block us from coming here. Besides, a summon can travel to wherever their summoner is by locking in on to their chakra signature via the Contract. So even if I did live in the Elemental Nations, I would still be able to come here. Pachi explained, and seeming annoyed at having to do so. Anyway, that's not important. Gaara-sama says you had better pick him up soon or he'll lose his temper and blow up at the annoying humans who can't use chakra. Well, he didn't say it in those words exactly, but I can tell that his patience is worn thin.

Wait. What? You mean Gaara is _here_? On this side of the barrier? He left the Elemental Nations? Naruto demanded, still not getting over the shock of this new development.

Of course, you didn't think he'd stay there and let you have all the fun by yourself, did you? Now will you go and get him already? He said he's in this place called London. Strange place, that. Everyone speaks English there. Pachi mused.

London. London? Dear Kami, this is some sort of joke, isn't it? Wait, you know what English is? Naruto sighed tiredly; he seemed to be asking a stream of non-stop questions today.

Yes, London. No, this is not a joke. And of course I know what English is; do you think me an uncivilised idiot? Anyway, it seems Gaara-sama is calling me back. He must have found another way to contact you. Well then, ta-ta for now! With that candid statement, the raccoon disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto cursing and swearing at stupid confusing raccoons and apparently very unpredictable redheads.

Not three seconds after the raccoon's abrupt departure, Naruto's phone started ringing. The nine beings in the clearing immediately swivelled round to stare at the offending contraption that lay on the patch of grass everyone deposited their phones on before rough-housing about in the lake. Taking swift strides to his phone, Naruto flipped it open and answered.

"Mr Silvers? What is it?" Naruto asked, having checked the caller id before picking up the call.

"Hey there Minato! I know you told me never to call your private phone unless it was an emergency, but you have already returned the company phone and I couldn't reach you otherwise. You see, there's a man here demanding to get into contact with you. Normally I wouldn't condone this, but he's a splitting image of you! He could easily pass as your brother!" Johnathan Silver's voice flowed from the phone loudly enough for everyone in the clearing to hear. Though, admittedly, that wasn't all that loud seeing as everyone present had superior senses.

A sound that was a cross between a gasp and a squeak escaped Naruto before the blond decided that he should get his act together and ruthlessly pushed his shock and surprise into a corner of his mind. This was a technique taught to him by Itachi, the master at hiding emotions.

"I see. Did he tell you what his name was?" Naruto asked, stunning everyone with his calm and cool voice. Even Jasper raised an eyebrow when he felt the suddenly muted emotions coming from Naruto.

"Err… Sabaku no Gaara." Johnathan replied.

"Right. Could you put him on the phone please? Thanks." Naruto said. There was a slight shuffling noise coming through the phone as it changed hands.

"Uzumaki." Naruto couldn't help but grin at the monotonous voice across the line.

"Gaara." The blonde ex-ninja replied in kind.

There was a short silence before Gaara spoke up again. I've finally found you. He said in his usual monotonous tone. However, Naruto could hear the relief and joy and the underlying 'I missed you' in Gaara's statement. Chuckling slightly, Naruto replied, Yes, it seems you have. I'll come pick you up as soon as possible. Now pass the phone back to Mr. Silvers.

"Minato? You wanted to speak to me?" Johnathan asked, having reclaimed the phone.

"Yes, could I trouble you to book a hotel room for my friend? It'll only be for one night. I'm flying over to pick him up right away." Naruto said.

"Sure thing. I'll text you the address of the hotel." Johonathan answered.

"Thanks. I'll owe you one for this." With that, Naruto ended the call. With a grin, he looked at the forgotten vampires and demon standing around him.

"What was all that about?" Emmet finally asked.

"Well, it seems I'll be flying to Britain. Don't worry, though. I'll be back tomorrow." Naruto murmured.

"Wait, I'm coming with you." Edward stated, staring resolutely at Naruto. There was no way he'd allow his mate to leave his sight now that he'd finally found him. Besides, he couldn't possibly go to school with his singer without Naruto around.

The blond stared back at Edward before shrugging. There was no harm in the vampire tagging along. "Fine. We should both go back to pack. We'll meet at my house in 15 minutes. I'll drive us to the airport. We can buy the plane tickets there."

"It'll be faster if I run us to the airport." Edward suggested, a part of him wanted to help Naruto get there as fast as possible, but a larger part of him simply wanted to have his mate in such close proximity again.

Naruto considered the suggestion and conceded that it would be faster. "But would you get tired? I mean, I know you're fast, but I've never seen you do long distances before."

Edward gave a smile that was all teeth. "Oh don't worry about that."

It took them less than an hour to get to the airport and with some flirting, Naruto managed to get them tickets on a plane that was already past check-in time. Of course, it helped that Edward was next to him, giving the cashier a charming smile. In less than two hours, the two were happily seated in first-class seats, awaiting take-off.

Gaara grunted in pain as he hit the ground and rolled to lessen the impact. He thought he'd left all this fighting behind him after he left the Elemental Nations. Who could've guessed that the opponents he'd face on this side of the barrier would be even stronger and faster than the ninjas in his homeland? Gaara had been happily minding his own business and training in this nice little forest he'd found a few miles from his hotel when he was rudely interrupted by five beings. They weren't human, Gaara knew that much. But they weren't ninjas or Jinchuuriki or even demons either. They weren't anything that Gaara had ever come across before.

There were three adults and two children. The three adults were all men with pale skin and red eyes. The children –one girl and one boy- were similarly coloured. And all of them seemed to possess supernatural speed and strength. They were even faster than Lee without his weights!

"Well, well, well. This sure is interesting. I've never come across a human who could wield control over sand before. You sure are talented, boy. I wonder how much stronger you would become if I turned you." Aro said, watching Gaara with a hungy glint in his eyes. The five members of Volturi had been taking a vacation in London when they stumbled upon this weird human fighting against what seemed to be sand golems. The vampires were naturally intrigued, and had watched the training session for awhile before the boy suddenly whirled in their direction and they were attacked by waves of sand. This impressed the Volturi leader even more and after a few minutes of combat in which Gaara actually managed to hold his own, Aro was now determined to turn this boy and make him the newest member of the Volturi.

Unfortunately, once the vampires stopped playing around and started getting serious, Gaara quickly lost ground in the battle. His weakness had always been speed as his sand was unable to catch up to the opponents' moves. Furthermore, he was outnumbered. Soon, Gaara found himself purely on the defensive, desperately trying to hold his sand barrier up against the battering of his opponents.

"What are you? What do you want with me?" Gaara demanded as he quickly got up from the ground, throwing up his sand shield at the same time. He wouldn't be able to last much longer. He only hoped Naruto would be able to get here in time.

"I suppose there's no harm telling you, seeing as you'll be one of us soon enough. We're vampires, dear boy. And I want you to join our coven." Aro explained, smiling pleasantly as if they had not been fighting for the past ten minutes.

Gaara's eyes narrowed. Vampires? They actually existed? Gaara had heard tales of the blood-sucking creatures before, but he'd always dismissed them as mere fairy tales used to scare little children. He should have known better. If demons existed, vampires are equally likely to exist. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer. I have no wish to become a vampire." Gaara replied coldly, his mind desperately trying to come up with an escape route. He'd tried using his sand coffin, but the vampires were too quick to get caught in it. Which only left one option.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Gaara cried, summoning the raccoon boss in all his glory. It was a good thing this forest had really tall trees or there'd probably be mass panic. The large raccoon (that thankfully looked like a raccoon unlike the mutated Shukaku) took one look at the five vampires and groaned.

Seriously? It's only been TWO DAYS since you've entered the outside world and already to run into vampires. I think Uzumaki's knack of finding trouble is rubbing off onto you. Ritsu, the racoon boss, complained.

It's really not my fault this time. Gaara defended. It was said in a monotonous tone, but Naruto would claimed that this was Gaara's version of pouting.

"And you can conjure giant raccoons as well? I'm starting to get more and more curious about your abilities, boy. In fact, I simply must have you in the Voluturi now. Jane, do it." Aro commanded, giving Jane a nod. Gaara braced himself, understanding that some code had been used and the girl probably has some attack up her sleeve.

Jane smiled sadistically and concentrated her power on Gaara, sending pain coursing through his body. Gaara grunted and bent over in his position on top of Ritsu's head, but he did not scream nor did he start writhing in pain. The vampires present all raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but be awed at the pain tolerance this boy was showing. Even vampires had been reduced to shivering wrecks by Jane's power. How is it that a mere human, albeit with special abilities, was able to hold up so well under it?

Ritsu, Sandstorm! Gaara commanded, his voice strained but still audible. The giant raccoon immediately complied with his master's order and a sandstorm suddenly brewed, obstructing everyone's sight. No one, not even vampires with their superior eyesight, was able to see more than five feet in front of them. Gaara quickly tried to escape under the cover of the sandstorm, having Ritsu scurry away as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Gaara didn't realise that even without their sense of sight, the vampires were still able to use their senses of hearing and smell. Marcus, Caius and Jane immediately attacked the giant raccoon, delivering strong and well-placed strikes that succeeded in the dispelling the raccoon. Meanwhile, Alec and Aro shot towards Gaara. Alec caught the red head and held him tightly while Aro smiled and gripped Gaara by the chin, using his power to draw on all of the ex-Jinchuuriki's memories.

Naruto and Edward were alighting the plane, on their way to collect their luggage at the luggage retrieval area when the blond's head suddenly shot up. He'd just felt a strong wave of chakra that was unmistakably Gaara's. This could only mean one thing. "Gaara's in trouble." Naruto whispered.

"What? How do you know?" Edward asked, having heard his mate's whispered comment.

"There's no time to explain. Edward, I'm going to place a genjutsu on us so no one can see, hear or even smell us. I need you to carry me in the direction I tell you to. Can you do that?" Naruto asked, the urgency in his voice obvious.

"Of course, I'll do whatever you need me to." Edward assured. Naruto nodded in gratitude even as he simultaneously cast the genjutsu and summoned two Kage Bunshin, one of which was Henged into Edward. His two bunshins took their places and went to collect their luggage.

"Head north." Naruto instructed, climbing onto Edward's back. His friend needed him, and Naruto would do his damnest to help him.

Aro's eyes widened as the memories flooded him. He'd just reached the part when Gaara had found out about Naruto faking his death when his instincts told him to jump away. Just in time too, for a stream of blue flames cut through the space where he was standing. A second stream shot out towards Alec, leaving the child vampire no choice but to release Gaara and dodge the flames. Naruto dispelled the genjutsu, immediately dashing to his brother in all but blood, supporting him before he fell.

"Aro, fancy meeting you here." Edward growled as he crouched protectively next to his mate.

"You know them?" Naruto asked.

"They're from the Volturi, the vampire government of sorts." Edward answered.

"Ah, Edward Cullen. It's been awhile, hasn't it? And you must be Uzumaki Naruto. Gaara, here, was really upset when he found out that you faked your death." Aro said. Naruto's eyes widened, looking towards Edward for an explanation.

"Aro has the ability to read every thought a person has ever had through physical contact. He was probably using his power when you interrupted him." Edward explained. This prompted Naruto to turn and glare at the vampire leader. No one invaded Gaara's privacy like that and got away with it. At his mental command, streams of foxfire shot at each of the five Volturi members. Aro and Marcus were able to dodge completely, but Caius, Jane and Alec each sustained some injuries. Caius suffered from some minor burns as the flames nicked him. Jane's entire right arm was covered with flames and she patted at her arm desperately, trying to put out the flames. Alec was hit the worst of all, he was rolling around on the ground trying to put out the flames that engulfed his entire body. Unfortunately for them, foxfire could not be put out using conventional methods. Jane had no choice but to rip off her arm, whereas Alec was completely reduced to ashes.

"Alec! You killed my brother! I'm going to kill you!" Jane screamed, immediately using her power on Naruto. The sudden onslaught of pain caught the blond immortal off guard, but Naruto quickly made use of his training and pushed the pain to the back of his mind. Ibiki, the head of torture and interrogation, had taught Naruto this technique to use during interrogation. Naruto had soaked up the lessons quickly, having already been subjected to more pain in his sixteen years than most ninjas did their whole lives.

"Is that all you've got?" Naruto challenged, as he clenched his teeth and redoubled his efforts to attack the vampires with his foxfire. Gaara, who was now able to support himself, also helped out by cornering the vampires with his sand.

Aro gritted his teeth as he jumped away from yet another stream of fire. This was bad. The blond had already managed to kill Alec and maim Jane. He didn't have enough information right now. He'd need to properly sort through the boy's memories. The smart thing to do would be to regroup and return later, when they were more prepared. At his signal, the Volturi members swiftly retreated and escaped the forest.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the retreating vampires but he allowed them to escape. He could tell that Gaara was weak from both physical and chakra exhaustion, and he needed more information on the Volturi as well. This would not be the last he saw of them, he was sure of it.

What happened, Gaara? When I last spoke to you, you were perfectly fine and with Mr. Silvers. How did you get mixed up with vampires? Naruto asked as he helped to bandage his friend's wounds.

I was having some early morning training in the forest when I sensed that I was being watched. I attacked, not knowing that my observers were vampires. I did not even know they existed before this. We fought for awhile, before they managed to overpower me. You arrived shortly after that. Gaara explained.

I see. Well, we'll worry about them later. How did you find out I was still alive? And how did you cross the barrier? Naruto asked.

When I found out about your 'death', I immediately began tracking the Gobi and Nanabi. I didn't believe that you'd die so easily. It took me more than five years, but I finally managed to find the Gobi. We fought and it took me awhile, but I managed to win. I demanded to know the truth of what happened and the Gobi told me everything. Well, it told me that you faked your death. The Gobi didn't know where you went though, so I searched the Elemental Nations for you. During my search, I came across some ancient scrolls depicting the outside world. I figured that was where you had gone to. It took me the better part of ten years to figure out how to cross the barrier. You were probably able to do so with your unlimited chakra reserves, but now that I no longer hold the Ichibi, I had to find alternative means to cross the barrier. After I'd run out of ideas, I eventually approached Jiraiya, the toad sennin. He is the only one other than me to know that you're alive. He helped me devise a seal that allowed me to cross over. He would have come too, but he was already very advanced in his years. He told me to tell you that he understands why you did what you did and that he is proud of you. He thinks of you as the son he never had. Gaara replied.

Wow. I don't think I have ever heard you say so much at once before. Naruto commented. So how did you manage to find me?

Well, when I reached the Outside World, I found myself here in London. I walked around a bit, asking about you. What had me curious was how the people here kept staring at me and whispering the name 'Namikaze Minato'. That's the name of the late Yondaime Hokage, isn't it? I didn't think that such a coincidence was possible so I asked about this 'Namikaze Minato'. I was told that he was a singer and was directed to Blue Jay Records to get more information on him. That was how I met Mr. Silvers. I didn't know you could sing, Naruto. And I'm rather flattered that you used my image as your Henge. Gaara said.

Wait, you asked around? You can understand English? Naruto asked.

"I've been taught English since I was a child, Uzumaki. It's part of being a Hokage's son. My father might have hated me, but he still had me trained as a politician. English is considered a high class language back in the Elemental Nations as only noble families know how to use it. Didn't Tsunade give you a crash course in English when you were appointed Hokage?" Gaara asked.

"Oh right, she did. I wasn't any good though. She decided that it wasn't necessary in the end. It's not as if the nobles can't speak Japanese. They just like using English as it makes them feel more superior." Naruto grumbled. "One more question, Gaara. It's been more than twenty years, and yet you look as if you've barely aged a year. Are you…" Naruto trailed off questioningly.

"I'm not immortal, if that's what you're asking. I never fused with the Ichibii, Naruto. So I'm not a Hanyou like you. But having so much of Shukaku's chakra coursing through me has changed me. I aged much more slowly now. But I still age." Gaara replied, his tone slightly apologetic. Naruto's face fell. When he'd first found out about his immortality, he'd been overwhelmed by loneliness. He'd hoped that maybe, Gaara was immortal as well and that he wouldn't be alone.

**There's still Edward and the rest of the Cullens, kit. And don't forget, I'm stuck with you forever. **Kyuubi reminded him silently. This provoked a smile. _You're right, Kyuu. Thanks._

"Well, now that the important stuff's out of the way, it's time for some introductions! Gaara, meet Edward Cullen. He's a vampire too, but don't worry, he's on our side. Oh and he's what you'd call a vegetarian vampire. He drinks animal instead of human blood, which is why his eyes are topaz instead of red. Edward, this is Subaku no Gaara. I told you about him on the plane trip here. The rest, you'll just have to get to know him to fine out. I hope you don't feel left out if we start slipping into Japanese, Edward. I haven't spoken my mother tongue for so long I kinda miss it." Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"It's fine, Naruto. I've taken Japanese lessons before. I'm not very fluent, but I can still follow your conversations." Edward assured his mate. "And it's very nice to meet you, Subaku-san. Am I addressing you correctly?" Edward asked politely. He wanted to make a good impression. Afterall, Gaara was a close friend of Naruto's.

"You can call me Gaara, Cullen-san. Any friend of Uzumaki's is a friend of mine. Besides, you're probably the only reason Naruto managed to reach me in time and saved my life." Gaara said.

"Then please, call me Edward. And it was pleasure to be able to help a friend of Naruto's. Especially one he calls his brother." The two shook hands under the gleeful gaze of Naruto who was happy that his two friends got along.


End file.
